Énouement
by AlwaysEachOther
Summary: With one decision he had impacted his relationships with everyone he cared about. How could he repair the damage that had been done? An alternative to season 7, set immediately after the season 6 finale. Michael and Fiona centric with appearances by Sam, Maddie and Jesse.
1. Chapter 1

_Hi guys! I am super excited and a little nervous to be posting the first chapter of my first multi-chapter story for Burn Notice! Oneshots are my comfort zone, so I'm trying something new here. A few lovely people have occasionally asked about this story, so thank you so much for the encouragement. I hope you enjoy this._

 _This story came from my feelings towards season 7. When I first watched the first episode of the last season, I hated it. The more of the season that I watched, the less I felt that way. While I eventually realised it is well written and amazingly delivered, particularly by Jeffrey Donovan, it is still not my favourite season. I don't enjoy the missing dynamic of the team being separated, particularly the absence of Michael and Fiona's relationship. I obviously don't like the addition of Carlos and Sonya. This story is an attempt at rewriting the last season, picking up immediately from the season 6 finale. The first couple of chapters will be setting the groundwork, but I promise that it will pick up quickly. I would really love to hear your thoughts, and I appreciate reviews. The more reviews I get, the more motivation there is to update ;) As always, I do not own anything to do with Burn Notice, and the lines that I have used from the show itself are not mine._

 _The title of this story comes from the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, which can be found at . The term 'Énouement' is credited to John Koenig._

Chapter One:

 **ÉNOUEMENT**

 _The bittersweetness of having arrived in the future, seeing how things turn out, but not being able to tell your past self._

/

" _Michael, what have you done?"_

"Fi!"

Michael Westen awoke suddenly, his body jolting into an upright position as he frantically took in his surroundings, gun in hand. It took him a few moments to realise where he was, and another few to realise he was alone. The bed beside him was empty, as Fiona was not where she usually was. She was gone.

His gun slipped from his hand to the mattress as he lowered his head in despair. She was gone and it was his fault. The sound of her gut wrenching sobs still haunted him, how she had used her arms to practically hold herself together in front of him as he disappointed her yet again. The way she had jerked away as he reached for her, dissolving into tears in a way he had seen her only a few times in all the years they'd known each other. His mom, Jesse and Sam had looked on in confusion, and although he'd kept glancing at them, he couldn't meet their eyes.

His nightmares had returned, no doubt a result of the last few months and the absence of Fiona's comforting presence. His year in general had been shit. His girlfriend had gone to jail, his brother had been killed, he'd been targeted by his own company and former mentor, his best friend had been shot, he'd had to burn down his home, he'd put his mother and all his friend's lives at risk, and now he was alone.

How had he ever done this after leaving Fiona in Ireland all those years ago? How had he pushed her away so many times before? How had he held her at arm's length when all he'd wanted to do was hold her close? He'd only seen her that morning and he was already beginning to lose his mind.

He reached across the bed to grab his cell phone, dialling the number he knew off by heart. He wasn't sure why though, considering it had already gone to voicemail six times that day.

" _It's Fi. Leave a message."_

That damn message that she'd never changed, even after all these years. Hearing it took him back to the time he'd thought she'd died in that fire, after driving all over Miami searching for her. At least then he'd gone back to the loft and she had been there. This time, there was no chance of that.

For years he had practically lived in isolation, consumed by his work and unable to handle meaningful relationships. Then, what he'd considered as the worst thing possible had happened, and it had lead to the best things in his life; friendship, relationships with his family, and love. Helping people who needed it, and doing good things. His friends who had become family had all stuck by him, especially Fi. Now he was alone, something he would've given everything for six years ago, but it felt horribly wrong.

" _You do enough bad things, you become the bad guy. You're heading down a dark path, brother."_

Sam's words from weeks ago ran through his mind. He'd put all of his friend's lives in danger the moment he pulled the trigger on Tom Card. They'd all been in serious situations before, but nothing as severe as pretending to be dead and trying to flee the country. He hadn't meant to do so many bad things, he'd just wanted to find the person who'd killed his brother and make them pay. That simple goal had turned into something much bigger, and he'd spent weeks trying to make up for the mistake he'd made. He'd promised his best friend that he would make things right, but it had been so much harder than he anticipated. Now everything was wrong.

He'd accepted the CIA's offer because he'd basically had no choice. They weren't ready to forgive and forget everything he and his team had done in the last few months, and had made the terms of his release very clear. They had a special case that was in the works and they needed Michael Westen, or as his new handler had put it, "the old Michael Westen". He wasn't sure how he felt about that. Failure to accept the Agency's "offer" would have resulted in he, his mother, Sam, Jesse and Fiona spending the rest of their lives in an undisclosed prison. He could never do that to them when it was his mistakes that had landed them all in trouble. At least the Agency had been so kind as to give a few weeks off as a breather after the chaos of the last few months. Spending life on the run really takes it out of you.

" _Do you ever wonder what it would be like actually getting to enjoy an afternoon like this?"_

" _I'm sorry, who are you? I came here with my boyfriend Michael Westen."_

" _I need a rest as much as you do, Fi. Believe me."_

" _I'm glad to hear you say that. You've been getting about as much sleep as a POW lately. Admitting there's a problem is the first step."_

" _After we take Card down, what do you say we go …"_

He knew his friends thought he'd accepted because he wanted back in, but it was far from the truth. He'd promised Fi he'd get out back when they were in Panama, and he had meant it, but fate had decided he didn't deserve his happy ending with the girl. He'd finally chosen her, and the choice had been taken away from him. He knew Fi was disappointed in him, but it was for her own good. Even if she couldn't understand, wouldn't listen, at least she would be safe. Yet the knowledge that he was keeping her safe wasn't enough to fill the hole in his chest.

The tiniest part of him was somewhat happy to have his job back, since he'd spent so many years wishing for it to happen. He was good at his job, and it was a part of who he was. But that tiny ray of happiness was overshadowed by the actions of his company. These were the people who had killed his brother, hunted and planned to kill him and his friends, threatened his mother and were now black mailing him to work for them. Everything he'd stood for in his professional life seemed like a lie now.

He'd never imagined this would be how his life turned out. Years ago, being burned had never seemed a possibility to him. He'd been good at his job, and had done all that was expected of him, regardless of how he felt about the mission. He'd never expected the experiences that being burned had lead to; working for little money, associating with drug dealers and scam artists on a regular basis, relying on his team of best friends to keep him honest, living in the same place for years. Over the last few years, he'd found it increasingly difficult to imagine his life without his dysfunctional family, yet it was now feeling like his new reality. This was what he'd wanted from the moment he'd been burned, yet he suddenly wished he could go back in time and tell himself to forget about it all. Maybe if he hadn't been so persistent with the mystery of his burn notice, Nate wouldn't be dead, and Fiona wouldn't have left him.

He took his phone and hurled it at the wall in frustration, watching as it shattered into little pieces. He then climbed out of bed and headed over to the balcony of his hotel room. He stared out at the water, wondering what she was doing at that very moment.

 _I'm sorry Fi, I'm so sorry._


	2. Chapter 2

_Hi guys! First of all, thank you so much for your very kind reviews on the first chapter! They were so encouraging; it made me want to post this straight away! I did plan to have it up earlier than this, but life got in the way haha. It seems most of you agree with me in regards to your feelings about season 7. I do get how they needed to change the show up after so many seasons so that it didn't become repetitive, but it's always a risk for tv shows. Nothing against Matt Nix, and that's why we have Fanfiction, to imagine how things could be if they had been done differently! I am so grateful for your responses though, it means so much to me, so thanks again. I hope you enjoy this next chapter. I will try to keep uploading regularly and fairly quickly. This chapter involves some Sam and Fi interaction, which is my favourite relationship on the show, besides Michael and Fi, obviously. As always, I don't own anything from Burn Notice. I just like to obsess over it constantly._

Chapter Two:

Fiona Glenanne woke slowly, taking in her surroundings as her heart sank with each passing second. She was in a strange hotel room because she had no home and basically no belongings. Worst of all, she didn't have Michael.

She clenched her eyes shut at the thought of him. She would not cry. She had done enough of that the day and night before, and it hadn't done any good.

"Get it together Glenanne." She whispered furiously to herself. He was just a man. Big deal. She was a strong woman and she didn't need him.

Her brain could feed her lies, but her heart would never believe them. Without Michael she felt as if she was missing a limb that she kept checking up on, only to realise all over again that it wasn't there.

The last few months had been hell. They'd been on the run for so long, and she had grown weary with their constant battles, although she'd rarely shown it. She'd always lived a fast paced and dangerous life, had even thrived on it, but the last year had pushed her to her limits. They had all suffered so much, her entire makeshift family. The only comfort had been Michael, his constant presence and his promise that he'd made to her in Panama.

" _After I get Gray, I'll leave. I'm out."_

" _The CIA?"_

" _Out of all of it."_

" _Don't say that if you don't mean it."_

" _I do."_

But of course, as soon as she'd let herself grow hopeful, their world had imploded again. Although their team had been through kind of situation before, they'd never done anything as serious as running away from their lives in Miami. She and Michael had burned down their home, left everything they owned behind, and prepared to leave the country. Things had only gotten worse when Sam was shot, and she'd been terrified at the thought of losing one of her best friends. They'd had a begrudging relationship in their early years that had developed into a strong bond over time, and she would have been devastated to lose him.

Their plan to catch Riley in the act of her transgressions had disintegrated the second Bly had died. She'd been terrified when she spotted the burning vehicle Michael had been in, convinced for a moment that he was gone. He'd returned to her unharmed and blown straight into a new plan to catch Riley. She and Jesse had watched on helplessly as he stood off against the Coastguard. Then they had been picked up and transported to a CIA facility. Three weeks had passed slowly, as she spent her time being interrogated or in isolation in her holding cell. She was fine with waiting the process out, but she had no way of knowing how, or where, Michael was.

She hadn't been expecting to see him when an agent had escorted her out of her cell. Her brow had furrowed as she'd spotted him in a dark suit, confused as to why he was ordering other agents around. Her thoughts had been momentarily pushed aside as he turned to face her, that soft smile that he used just for her on his face. She had smiled back, happy to see him after the confusion of the last few weeks, until a hand pulling her to a stop jolted her out of her thoughts. She'd looked at the agent with annoyance, not understanding why he wasn't allowing her to reach Michael. Once her boyfriend had given the other man a nod, he had released her and she'd flown into his arms.

Her happiness had been short lived, as from that moment it had all gone downhill. She'd asked him what was going on, and he'd hesitated, his expression morphing into one that let her know he was debating how to tell her something. Somehow, she knew what he was about to say. He'd tried to explain himself, and she desperately reminded him of his promise to her.

" _I made a deal."_

The moment those words had fallen from his lips she had inhaled sharply, a lone tear making its way down her cheek.

" _I did what I-"_

" _What you had to do."_ She'd finished his sentence, having heard those words countless times throughout their years together. _"No, Michael. You did what you wanted to do."_

He'd reached for her and she'd jerked away, dissolving into tears at what was the last straw. She couldn't handle any of it any more.

He'd promised her. Sure, he'd broken promises before, little things like not being able to make their dinner reservations, or promising he wouldn't do something stupidly dangerous, then turning around to do it anyway, usually to help someone. Their lives were anything but routine, and she understood that things were often beyond their control. This time though, it was different.

Patient was not a word that many people would associate with Fiona Glenanne, but she considered herself to be a very patient person in some aspects of her life. She'd known Michael for over a decade, and she had put up with a lot in that time. She'd waited for him to realise they belonged together, forgiven him when he left her, waited for him to come back when he left, helped him with whatever job he was doing, and loved him despite his shortcomings. He proved that he was worth the wait when he asked her to move in, let her redecorate the loft, told him how much he needed her. Even the way he looked at her was enough to convince her that she wasn't wasting her time, remind her that he really did love her, even if he couldn't say the words. But now … she couldn't be patient anymore. She couldn't handle a broken promise like this one. This time, she was truly alone.

Pushing herself out of bed and forcing her memories from her mind, she pulled on the only clothes she still owned; despite how much she never wanted to wear them again. Perhaps shopping would make her feel better. She doubted it would, but she needed to replace everything anyway, so she would try it as a distraction.

After a stop to an old storage unit where she kept some money stashed for emergencies, she headed to the mall. Hours later, she arrived back at her room, arms loaded down with countless bags of clothes. It hadn't made her feel any better, as she expected, but at least she now had more than one outfit to wear.

She sat down on the bed with her legs crossed, unsure of what to do. For the first time in years she didn't have anything to attend to. It wasn't relaxing like a vacation should be, but oppressive, as if the weight of the whole world was sitting on her shoulders.

A knock at the door broke her out of her thoughts, and she immediately raised her gun in response.

"Fi, it's me. Don't shoot." The voice of Sam Axe came through the door. She scrambled off the bed to swing the door open for her friend.

"Hey Sam." She greeted him, turning back to sit down again.

Sam pushed the door shut behind him, following the small Irish woman over to a chair opposite the bed, settling himself down, fixing his eyes on hers.

"How are you, Fi?" he asked with as much concern as she'd ever heard from him.

"Oh, I'm fine." She told him, her fake happy voice firmly in place.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Obviously you're not, Fi, so don't bother lying to me."

Her gaze dropped down, and suddenly the bedspread below her was absolutely fascinating.

"Maddie's been worried about you. We all have." He prompted gently.

"I just needed some time to myself." She whispered back.

"Hey, I get that. But after the last few months, it's weird to not see you. Especially with everything that happened yesterday." He said softly.

Fi nodded, her head still down.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He offered, sure that she wouldn't take him up on it.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before she spoke.

"He promised me he was going to get out. He said he was done. And I believed him. I'm such an idiot." She sighed.

"Hey," Sam broke in. "You are not."

"I always knew he'd leave me again, but this time I really believed it wouldn't happen. Look where we are now." Tears were streaming steadily down her face as she angrily pushed them away. "I believed him and he left me anyway."

She held a hand over her mouth, trying to muffle the sobs that were threatening to break free. She dissolved into tears, breaking down in front of Sam's eyes. He had never seen her so distraught before.

Leaping up from his seat, he settled himself beside her, wrapping his arms around her and comforting her, just like the brother he was.

"I know it hurts Fi, I know. I believed him too. I know you've been left behind more times than is fair, and you shouldn't have to deal with that. I know you miss him. But it's going to be okay." He told her soothingly.

"How, Sam?" she hiccupped. "I gave up everything for him. I have nowhere to live, I can't go home."

"We'll sort something out Fi, I promise. Would you consider coming back to Maddie's?"

Fiona shook her head emphatically. "I can't do it. I love Madeline but I can't be there with her and the pictures of Michael on the wall, I just can't."

"Ok," Sam said soothingly. "How about if you come and stay at Elsa's? I know it's just another hotel, but it might feel a little more like home than this place."

"Ok." She said resignedly, knowing there was really no other option.

"I know you miss him Fi, I miss him too. But don't forget, you've always got us; me, Maddie and Jesse."

She smiled softly at his comforting words. They didn't make everything better, but he was a good friend. "Thanks, Sam."

He grinned back at her. "Anytime, sister."

After helping her pack up the few items she still had, plus her recent purchases, Sam lead her from the room and climbed into his own car as she did hers, letting her follow him to Elsa's hotel.

He sighed heavily, unable to get the image of Fiona's tear stained face out of his mind. She was the strongest person he'd ever met, and he'd never thought he'd see her as he just had, so distraught and desolate, having given up completely. Considering the things she'd had to put up with over the last year, it wasn't a shock that she'd finally broken down. It was just so unlike her.

The last year had been hard on Sam, just as it had been on the others. Helping his best friend had never been a simple job, but the difficulty of the last year had outdone all the years that Michael had been in Miami put together. Sam had put together a good life for himself in Miami, helping out people who needed it, working with his best friends, and finally finding the woman of his dreams in Elsa. He loved his life, and it had nearly been taken away from him. It'd been a hard decision to go on with his friends and leave Elsa behind, but he was a loyal guy, and the bonds between himself, Michael, Fi, Jesse and Maddie were unlike any other relationships he'd ever had, even those he'd had with his SEAL buddies.

As soon as he'd been released from the CIA's custody, Sam had gone to see Elsa. She'd nearly collapsed with surprise before throwing herself into his arms, weeping in relief. His heart had clenched when he realised just how much he'd put her through. As always, she'd been supportive even though she didn't fully understand what had happened. His elation at being reunited with his girlfriend had granted him a few hours of bliss before remembering the scene he'd witnessed between Mike and Fi. That had lead to his decision to check up on her, and now he felt guilty for being happy when his friend was so heartbroken.

 _Boy, you've really done it this time, Mikey,_ he thought sadly. Michael may be his best friend, but he knew he'd protect Fiona from anything right now. She definitely needed it.


	3. Chapter 3

_Okay, here is the next chapter, fairly quickly because I'm aware that the first two chapters were quite short, and so is this one. After the next chapter though the chapter lengths start picking up. Thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter, I really appreciate it. Please continue to let me know your thoughts on the story, I really enjoy reading them, and it really makes me excited to keep writing this. This chapter delves into the Michael/Madeline and Michael/Sam relationships, but I promise that the next chapter will finally be Michael and Fiona! I hope you enjoy._

Chapter Three:

Michael stood in front of his childhood home, gazing at it with a level of apprehension that he hadn't felt in the last few years. He remembered first arriving in Miami after being burned, how he had wanted to run as far away as possible from the memories of his traumatic childhood. Yet over the last five or so years it had become a place of comfort again, something he hadn't experienced since he was a very small child. And here he was now, unsure of how his mother would react once he walked through the door. So much had happened since Nate's death, and his relationship with his mother had been torn as a result. Now she had spent weeks locked in a secret facility because of him. He had no idea where to go from here.

He slowly made his way up the stairs and pushed open the front door without knocking, as he always did.

Madeline Westen sat at the table, furiously smoking her cigarette, as she always did. Her gaze barely lifted to her son as he entered, and he stood before her, silence washing over the room.

"I wondered how long it would be before you showed up." The older woman mused.

Michael swallowed uncomfortably. "How are you, Mom?"

Madeline scoffed in response. "What a stupid question to ask, Michael. I'm fine, obviously." Her sarcastic tone filled the air between them.

Michael slowly sat at the table across from her, feeling that it was better to keep some space between them.

"Did you get home okay?"

"Oh, yes, those CIA men were very hospitable when they dragged us away from whatever hellhole they had us in the first place."

Michael fought the urge to roll his eyes, knowing it wouldn't help at all.

"Three weeks, Michael. Three weeks of not being able to do anything, not knowing where you were or what had happened to you, not even knowing if the others were okay." Tears clouded Maddie's voice as she stabbed out her cigarette and immediately lit another one.

Michael's chest tightened as he witnessed the pain his mother had been put through. She wasn't trained to survive interrogation and imprisonment, and she had suffered for weeks because of him.

"I'm so sorry Mom." He told her, his voice filled with regret.

"Sorry doesn't take back the last few weeks, Michael."

Silence fell over them once again as they sat, staring at the table.

"Have you spoken to any of them?"

He didn't need to specify whom, Madeline knew exactly who he was referring to.

"Only briefly. Sam and Jesse called to let me know that they got home safely."

"And Fi?" His heart thudded at the thought of his girlfriend.

"I haven't heard from her." Maddie took a long puff from her cigarette.

"Come on, Mom, there's no way you haven't talked to her." Michael sighed. He knew how close the two of them were.

"I haven't! As soon as we got back she was off in a heartbeat and I haven't heard from her since. She looked like she wanted to be alone."

His stomach dropped when he realised just how bad the situation was.

"I've been calling her, but she's not answering."

"Well, can you blame her Michael? Honestly, after everything you've put that girl through."

"I did what I had to do to keep everyone safe!"

"And look what you've done in the process! You've destroyed that poor girl, Michael, I've never seen her so upset in my life."

He dropped his head into his hands, realising the full weight of his decision for the first time.

"I didn't mean to hurt anyone," he whispered. "I was just trying to do what I thought was right."

"Right for you, or right for everybody else?" Maddie asked solemnly.

His eyes lifted back to his mother's as her words overtook him.

"You've made your decision, Michael, and now you have to deal with the repercussions."

"I'm gonna fix this, Mom," he told her, determination entering his voice. "I am."

"Don't tell me that, honey, tell Fi."

He rose from the table, hesitating for a brief second before making his way to her and kissing the top of her head quickly. He exited his mother's house as fast as he could, intent on finding Fiona and making her understand.

/

Michael made his way into the Carlito, hoping he'd find his best friend there. Sure enough, Sam Axe was sitting at a table with a beer in front of him. _At least some things don't change,_ Michael thought.

Sam's eyes met his as Michael sat in the chair opposite him.

"Heya, Mikey."

"Not the welcome I was expecting, but I'll gladly take it." The younger man said honestly.

Sam shrugged. "No point wasting my energy being angry at you. Plus, I figured you've got enough of that at the moment anyway."

"You've got that right." Michael sighed. "So, how are you?"

"Just as I always am, I suppose. Glad to be back with Elsa again."

"I'm glad you are too." Michael told his friend sincerely.

Sam nodded his thanks. "So, what're you doing here anyway? I figured you'd be off in some undisclosed location, rounding up some bad guys."

"They've given me a few weeks of downtime before I get called away on anything serious again." Michael explained.

"Ah, alright."

The two men sat in awkward silence for a moment before Michael spoke again.

"So, how is she?"

Sam immediately knew whom he was talking about.

"She's not great. I've never seen her like this Mike."

Michael lowered his head to his hands. "That's what my mom said. But you've seen her?"

"Yep." Sam confirmed.

"Mom swore to me that she hadn't."

"She's telling the truth. Fi hightailed it outta there as soon as we hit the ground. I checked on her earlier to make sure she was alright."

"Where is she? She isn't answering my calls."

And then Sam fixed him with such a serious look that he knew his friend was not about to divulge his girlfriend's whereabouts to him.

"I can't do that brother." The older one shook his head. "I know she doesn't want to see you."

"But if she would just let me explain-"

"Explain what, Mike? How you broke your promise to her and left her behind again?"

"It wasn't like that! I had to do it!" Michael voice began to fill with frustration.

"Well, honestly, your explanation isn't going to do anything at the moment. And I'm not letting you anywhere near her right now when she's so vulnerable."

Now Michael's eyes and voice were blazing with anger. "That is not your call to make Sam!"

"Like hell it isn't! I've never seen her completely break down before, but she did this morning, and I know it's because of what you did! She's going through enough at the moment, she doesn't need to deal with you!" The ex-SEAL's voice became increasingly louder throughout his speech.

The two men stared at each other furiously, unwilling to back down.

Michael broke first, surprisingly.

"I just need to see her, to make her understand why I did it. I can't lose her, Sam." The younger man's voice was thick with emotion.

"I get that buddy, and I definitely think you should, but maybe wait a couple of days. If you go to her now, all guns blazing, you're only going to make things worse. And then she will actually use her gun." Sam smirked.

Michael smiled slightly at that.

"I'll talk to her and see if she's up for it, okay?" Sam told him gently.

Michael nodded.

"Thanks for looking out for her, Sam." His emotion filled voice betrayed his hard-set expression.

Sam nodded in understanding. "Of course."

The two friends sat drinking their beers, silence falling over them. It was not a comfortable silence as it usually was, but awkward and filled with tension.

"I just want to go back to how things were. I wish none of this had ever happened." Michael said quietly.

Sam's chest clenched as he took in his best friend's expression. He looked so much like a young boy, scared and confused. The ex-SEAL had watched the younger operative put up with a lot over the years, but nothing as bad as the last few months, beginning with Anson's torment through to Fiona's prison stay and Nate's death. It was easy to forget just how much he was hurting. Right now, Sam could clearly see the young Michael Westen who had joined the army to escape his broken home.

"I know, brother. I know things have been tough lately. I wish I could make everything go back to normal, but I can't." Sam said.

"I never meant to hurt anyone, Sam. I swear I didn't." Michael's eyes met his, so full of conviction and desperation.

Sam nodded understandingly. He knew his buddy. He may do some truly bad things at times, but beneath everything he was a good and decent man.

"I know. All we can do now is move forward."

Michael nodded and stared down at the table, still fiddling with the straw in his drink. He knew he had to find a way to make things right again.


	4. Chapter 4

_Hi guys! Here's the next chapter, and we're finally up to some Michael and Fi time! I hope you enjoy this chapter, please let me know your thoughts because it's so encouraging to hear what you think, and it motivates me to write more and upload faster. Thank you to those who do review, I really appreciate it. Enjoy!_

Chapter Four: 

Michael sat at a table at Carlito's a few days after he'd spoken with Sam, who had managed to get Fiona to agree to meet him. He fiddled with the straw in his glass, anxiously awaiting her arrival. He hadn't seen her in days, and for weeks before that while they CIA had kept them apart, and all he wanted to do was take her into his arms and never let go. He had tried desperately to remind himself that she would be better off without him over the last few days, but for once his heart was overruling his head, refusing to let her go.

His head whipped up at the sound of her familiar footsteps, taking in the sight of her for the first time in days. She looked a little apprehensive, but as beautiful as she always did.

She hesitated before him slightly before speaking. "Hi, Michael."

"Hey, Fi." His mouth suddenly felt very dry.

"Do you mind if we go somewhere else to talk?" She asked quietly. She didn't want to ruin all her good memories of their hangout spot with what either of them might say.

Michael nodded quickly, willing to do whatever or go wherever she wanted. He pushed himself out of his seat and followed her outside. They walked awkwardly together in silence. Michael was so busy thinking of something to say that he almost didn't notice they were at the beach.

They walked across the sand silently until Fiona suddenly sat down, halfway towards the ocean. Michael's chest tightened when he realised it was the same spot they'd sat after Fi's release from prison, the place they'd stood as Anson delivered the bombshell that had put them in such a difficult position. He lowered himself to the sand beside her.

"So how is it being an official agent again?" she asked, more out of politeness than actual curiousity.

Michael contemplated his words before answering her. It wasn't like he had done much work as an agent since he'd last seen her, and he was still unsure whether or not he should explain his reasons for accepting the deal. "It's different than it was before I was burned, but it's good." He said fairly honestly.

Fiona smiled slightly, perhaps a little sadly. "That's great. I'm glad you're happy, Michael."

He turned to face her, his expression serious. "You make me happy, Fi."

She averted her eyes, turning to face the ocean. "So does your job."

"Yes," he admitted reluctantly. "But it isn't the only thing. Don't you see that I want you?"

"And the job." She corrected him. "You'd never pick just me. You never have."

"Why can't I have both?"

"It's not that simple anymore, Michael. Maybe Strickler was right all those years ago. Maybe you can't have the girl and the job." She said quietly, her eyes downcast.

"But I chose you all those years ago Fi, and I'm choosing you now!"

"You think you're choosing me Michael, but you just want it both ways. And I don't think you can."

"But why not?" he asked desperately. "I love you, Fi, and I can't just give up on us."

She smiled at him sadly, letting the silence hang between them before speaking again. "Do you realise that's the first time you've ever said that to me?"

That stopped him in his tracks for a moment, as he thought back over the last few years. Surely when he'd done everything he could to save her from prison … after she'd been released from prison … after she'd saved his life so many times …

 _You don't marry someone when you love somebody else._

He lifted his eyes to hers, his face full of shock and realisation. That was the closest he'd ever gotten to actually saying it. She smiled back at him sadly. He opened his mouth to explain, to apologise desperately, but she just shook her head.

"I don't think I can spend the rest of my life waiting around while you're on a mission, wondering if you're still alive and ever coming home."

"We've been through it before, Fi, when I was working with Max and Pearce. What's different now?"

"You are. You're changing so much Michael that I feel like I don't know you anymore." She told him sadly.

"How have I changed?" He asked in confusion.

"The Michael I fell in love with in Ireland is different from the Michael I fell in love with in Miami. I wasn't sure at first, but he's the one that I truly love. The guy who stands up for those who need it, who helps his mother and friends, who always does the right thing, not matter how hard it is. Not this person, who accepts deals, and breaks promises, and goes back to an organisation that basically ruined all of our lives."

"I'm still me, Fi." He begged, clutching at her hands.

She shook her head sadly. "Not completely. Bit by bit you become more like this corporate machine, doing what they say without reason, without even realising it, and one day you'll be a completely different person. They'll take your conscience, Michael, what makes you who you are. I just don't think I can sit around and wait for that to happen."

"I won't become that person Fi, I pro-"

"Don't you dare promise that to me." She whispered fiercely. "I can't handle another broken promise from you."

Silence fell between them again as Michael struggled with what he should say.

"All I know Fi, is I can't lose you. I can't do any of this without you."

"I really want to believe that," she told him honestly. "But what you say and what you do are two different things. Do you remember the last time we sat here like this? I told you all I ever wanted was to be by your side. I've tried so hard, but for years you've left me behind while you've gone off to do what you needed to. I never wanted to admit it, but maybe we're just not meant to be together."

Michael's eyes widened in alarm. In all the years he'd known her, he'd never heard her talk like this, so final and absolute about their relationship. She'd stuck by him through everything, and he knew he would never have survived all these years without her. She was the only person he'd ever truly been himself with, the only woman he'd ever loved.

"Fi," he asked slowly. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying … I think we need to be apart for awhile." She said finally. "I love you so much Michael, but I don't know how to move past what you've done. I just need some time to think."

"Fi," he said desperately. "Please don't do this."

"I'm not saying we're over Michael, but I think we should take sometime apart to think things over. Because I can't pretend everything's ok and just get on with our lives like always."

Michael took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. He waited a moment before speaking again.

"If you think we need some space, then that's what we'll do. I'll give you all the space you want, as long as you remember that I'm not giving up. It's you Fi, it's always been you. I won't change my mind about how much I love you."

She closed her eyes. He was finally saying all she'd ever wanted to hear, which was making it so much harder to walk away. But she knew she had to, or she wouldn't be herself anymore. She hadn't felt like herself for the last few weeks, and she needed to feel strong and capable again. She felt like she was losing herself, and if she gave any more of herself to him, there'd be nothing left.

Standing up, she dusted the sand from her body and turned to face Michael, who had stood with her. She leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek, but he turned his face to lock his lips with hers, bringing a hand up to cup her face. She allowed the kiss, even welcomed it, but broke away earlier than she normally would.

"Goodbye Michael." She said simply, heading away from the beach, and the only man she'd ever loved.

Michael watched her leave, sure that he'd never felt so hopeless before.

"Bye Fi." He murmured.

/

He sat in his hotel room later that afternoon, replaying his conversation with Fi in his mind. Since he knew he was locked into his agreement with the Agency, he had tried to convince her that they could still be together while he worked for them. As he expected, she hadn't agreed with his plan. He understood that she was too hurt by his broken promises. When he thought about it, it wasn't just one promise that had been broken, but years worth of them.

Maybe it was all for the best. He'd done enough damage to her life already, maybe she could move on and be happy without him.

 _Except I can't be happy without her_ he thought bitterly. It had taken him so many years to realise it, and now he was paying for it. She'd always been the one to fight for him, so he had been determined to do so this time, yet it hadn't worked. Even when he'd told her they couldn't be together, she'd never left his side, her loyalty unwavering. The irony of their current situation was not lost on him. He knew he'd hurt her so many times before, but he thought he'd made her happy as well. If only those happy times had been more often.

 _You don't deserve her_ , he told himself bitterly. _You never have, after everything you've put her through_. She didn't deserve to have her future controlled by the CIA, or to be more subjected to more pain as a result of his work. He was extremely glad he hadn't told her about his new deal.

Standing from the bed, he walked over to the collection of liquor bottles and grabbed a bottle of whiskey, pouring a glass and downing it quickly. He poured himself another, and ignored the burning sensation making its way down his throat. He took his glass, and the bottle, and made his way to the chair on the balcony. He'd spent an entire decade of his life in remote locations, often working in solitude, but he'd never felt as alone as he did right now.

Maybe the best thing would be to let her move on with her life, and he didn't deserve her, but he had promised that he would fight for them this time. Michael Westen was a force to be reckoned with when he put his mind to a mission, and he wasn't giving up on the most important person in his life.


	5. Chapter 5

_Wow, thank you so so much for the lovely reviews on the last chapter! It was so encouraging and made me want to keep writing and upload this as soon as possible for you guys. I really wanted to reply to some of your reviews individually, but since many of you are on guest accounts I can't do so, so I've addressed them below._

 _1\. Oh gosh, I seem to have concerned a few of you with the part about Michael drinking whiskey, as it obviously links to the beginning of season 7. That was not my intention. He had a bad day at the end of a bad year and he's upset about Fi, so he wanted to drown his sorrows. But fear not, he will not develop a drinking problem like he did on the show. He's pretty focused on getting Fi back. This was a fairly isolated incident, so don't worry!_

 _2\. To the person who would like longer chapters but appreciates the quality, thank you! I would prefer longer chapters too, but when I mapped this story out I set a specific event or goal for each chapter, so although I was annoyed by the shortness of each section, I would rather leave them as they are. Some of the later chapters that have already been written get quite long, purely because I couldn't find a stopping point in the middle, and I didn't want to break up the flow. I can't wait to upload those chapters for you guys soon!_

 _3\. To the person who said this reminded them of one of Amanda Hawthorn's stories, thank you so much! That was not my intention at all, but she's one of my favourite Burn Notice authors on this site, so I will definitely take it as a compliment!_

 _4\. As for how long it will be before Michael and Fi are reunited, and whether he will stand up to the CIA … patience friends ;) I will tell you that I'm a hopeless romantic who doesn't enjoy misery, so it won't be dragged out too long! Haha._

 _I'm glad everyone loves these characters just as much as I do. I think I connect to these characters more than I have with any others, which is why I enjoy writing them so much. This chapter finally sees the team working together again! This is the first time I've ever created a case, since I tend to stick with the relationship side of the show, so feedback is welcome. I hope you enjoy it, please let me know what you think!_

Chapter Five:

A week after Fiona had decided on a break from her relationship with Michael, she sat at a table in Carlito's with Sam and Jesse.

"So what's this job about, Sam?" Fi had been bored without something to keep her busy. She'd been looking for a new place to live, since she was still staying at Elsa's hotel, but it was rather difficult without sufficient cash to keep going. Plus, boredom and Fiona were never a good mix.

Sam glanced at Jesse before turning back to her. "Uh, before I go over the details, I've got something to run by you."

The Irish woman raised an eyebrow. "Ok, hit me."

Sam stared at the table before speaking again. "I was wondering how you'd feel about Mike joining us for this."

Fiona didn't know how to respond, so she simply stared at him with questions in her eyes.

"I know things aren't great with you two at the moment, but this is a big job, and we could really use his help." Sam rushed his words ahead.

"Isn't he off on some top secret mission somewhere?" she asked sarcastically.

"No, he's still in town for a bit, which is why I called him. But if you really don't want him on this Fi, I'll tell him no."

She sighed heavily. "It's fine Sam, whatever's best for the job, right?" She shrugged.

Sam sighed in relief. "Thanks, Fi. Trust me, once we get into it, you'll understand why I want him on this."

As if he knew they were talking about him, Michael appeared, walking over to their table to take a seat.

"Hey guys." He said casually. To an untrained person he seemed detached, but anyone who knew him could see the way his eyes darted back and forth from Fiona's face. Sam and Jesse chose not to point that out.

"So, what's the job, Sam?" Michael asked.

"Yeah, you're drinking iced tea instead of beer. Means it must be important." Jesse pointed out.

Sam leant forward with his elbows on the table. "Yeah, it is. So, Brian Greenwood, he's a business contact of Elsa's. His kids were kidnapped yesterday morning. It's been over twenty four hours and no one has contacted him for a ransom, which is strange because the guy's worth millions of dollars."

"Wait, kids?" Fi interjected. "As in plural?"

Sam nodded gravely. "Yeah, three of them. A son and two daughters aged twelve, eight and six."

Michael and Jesse exchanged looks with each other. They knew just how fired up Fiona could get in a case concerning children. Michael had to admit that it was one of his weak spots as well.

"It's not a custody battle issue is it?" Michael asked. "Mother ran off with the kids?"

"Nope, the wife died three years ago of cancer and he never remarried." Sam informed him. "Never so much as dates."

"So it has to be about business." Jesse chimed in.

"Exactly." Said Sam. "Only thing is, the guy's got nothing to go on. He's going crazy."

"Understandably." Fiona sighed.

"So I'm thinking Mike and I talk to Brian to find out as much as we can, while Jess and Fi check out his house and see if the kidnappers left behind any clues." Sam outlined the plan.

Everyone noticed his skilful separation of Michael and Fi for the tasks, but no one chose to comment on it. If they tried hard enough they could all pretend the mess of the last few months had never happened; that they were all happy with each other and taking on clients as usual. _How sweet denial is,_ Fiona thought sarcastically.

/

The team arrived at Brian Greenwood's house, a large mansion overlooking the water in Coral Gables. Jesse and Fiona immediately set off to study the perimeter and check for any flaws or holes in the security of the property, while Sam and Michael headed in to speak with the client.

"Mr Greenwood, I promise you we are going to do everything we can to get your children back." Sam assured the man.

Brian nodded nervously. It was clear he was very concerned for his children. "Elsa told me you were very good at what you do. I'll do whatever you need me to."

"Why don't you start by telling us what happened?" Michael asked.

"I woke up yesterday morning and started getting ready for work, like I always do. The nanny doesn't arrive until about six thirty to help me get the kids ready for school. Just before she gets here I go in to wake my oldest two up, but they weren't in their rooms. When I went in to my youngest's room it was empty as well, and there was a note on the pillow that told me not to call the police, or I'd be sorry." He pulled the note from his pocket and handed it to Sam.

"We need to think about who would want to do this." Michael told him. "Is there anyone who has threatened you lately, or anyone you've had any problems with? A business partner, colleague, a female friend?"

Brian shook his head vigorously. "No, no, I can't think of anyone."

"What is it exactly that you do, Mr Greenwood?" Sam asked.

"I'm a property investor." The man answered. "I work in the high end market, but I haven't worked with anything significant recently. I've just had time off with my kids, and I only went back to the office last week."

"Where did you go with your kids?" Michael asked.

"Down to Orlando to visit the theme parks. It was just myself, the kids and the nanny."

Sam nodded. "Alright, if you don't mind us having a look around we'd like to see the place, maybe some of your work files."

Brian nodded. "Of course, anything you need."

"And if I may ask," Michael interjected. "Where is your nanny now?"

"Rebecca? I sent her home. She was here helping me out, but there wasn't much for her to do without the children so I told her I'd call her if I had any news. She was very upset about what happened."

"Alright, well we'll have a look around and come find you if we need anything." Sam told him.

The two of them left Brian and headed outside to meet up with Fi and Jesse.

"How's it looking, guys?" Michael asked.

"Mr Greenwood has a very comprehensive security system here, and it was tampered with." Fiona explained.

"The cameras out here in the backyard were turned off, and someone bypassed the security code to get in and out of the kid's bedrooms undetected. Whoever they were, they knew what they were doing." Jesse continued.

"Alright, we're going to look into his work files and personal documents to see if we find anything that pops. Can you two head to the nanny's place to talk to her? We can all meet up later this afternoon to keep going." Sam suggested.

The other three nodded, and made off in their separate ways.

/

Later that afternoon, Fiona walked into the garage at Madeline's house, which the team was using as a work area and meeting place for their job, since the loft was no longer habitable. Her stomach dropped a little when she realised Michael was the only one there, with Sam and Jesse nowhere to be found.

"Hi." She greeted him as naturally as possible.

"Hi." He greeted her back, giving her a small smile. "Sam and Jesse are on their way."

"Ah." Fi answered noncommittally. "Good."

The two of them stood in front of each other awkwardly, unsure of what to say. Fortunately, Michael's phone rang, cutting through the silence.

He checked the number before turning back to Fiona. "Sorry, I have to take this."

She nodded. "Go ahead."

Michael made his way out to the driveway to answer the call, while Fi leant against the hood of the Charger. She was lost in her own thoughts when Michael's rising voice suddenly pulled her back to reality. She turned her head to watch him, unsure if he even remembered she was not too far away.

"I can't come back right now." Michael's voice was hard and controlled in an attempt to remain professional. "I'm still sorting out things here."

He paused briefly, presumably to allow the person on the other end to answer.

"Yes, it's a job, ok, but you gave me a few weeks off so I figured I would be fine to do as I please."

With a sinking heart, Fiona realised he was talking to someone at the Agency.

"I'm not harming myself, if that's what you're concerned about. I will still report for the next mission, as promised."

Fiona fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"Yes, I am perfectly aware of our deal." Michael muttered, his voice becoming more and more agitated.

Fi's brow furrowed at his statement, wondering what he was talking about. She took silent steps to get closer to his conversation so she could hear more clearly.

"May I point out that using someone's family and friends as bait is perhaps not the best recruitment tactic?" He hissed. "I understood the deal and I took it, so you don't need to keep reminding me of it. I am technically on my vacation time, so I would appreciate it if you only called me if it is important. Goodbye."

Michael turned around, unprepared for Fiona's shocked face to be the first thing he saw. He swallowed; waiting for the onslaught he knew was coming.

"What was that about using your friends and family as bait?" Fiona raised an eyebrow, her voice deathly quiet.

"Fi," Michael sighed, trying to find a way out of the conversation before it began.

"What were you talking about, Michael?" She persisted, her voice rising in volume and intensity.

He sighed again, knowing there was no way she would give up.

"The reason I signed back with the agency was due to their contingencies on letting us all go. They said if I didn't agree to work this case for them, you would all spend the rest of your lives in a CIA prison." He informed her regretfully.

Fi's mouth hung slightly open as she took in his words. "You mean that they're blackmailing you to work for them?"

Michael shrugged.

"And that doesn't sound a bit like the other people you've worked for? Carla, Management, Vaughn, _Anson_?" Each name that left her mouth sounded more and more bitter than the last.

"I know, Fi, but it was the only way to keep you all safe!"

"And you couldn't have just told us that? Rather than letting us think you willingly joined them again?"

"How could I, Fi? You wouldn't listen to me!"

His words practically slapped her in the face as she stared at him in shock.

"Well, forgive me for thinking that you joined them because you wanted your old job back, since that's all you've ever talked about the last six years!" She spat out.

Michael let his head fall back in frustration. "I tried to tell you Fi, but you didn't want to hear it. How could I force you to listen?"

"You were supposed to fight for me, Michael, like you've always fought for your job." Her voice shook as she spoke, though he wasn't sure if it was from anger or despair.

"I did fight for you! I fought to keep you out of prison again!"

"Then why didn't you tell me the other day, when you tried to explain yourself?" She shot back.

"Because it was clear you'd already given up on us." He said truthfully.

His statement caused anger to flash in her emerald orbs. " _Me_? You're _always_ the one giving up on us! I have fought for us for years, Michael, and I'm tired. I can't do it anymore. If I'm not fighting it's because I am too exhausted from all of it."

"And I haven't?" he asked in disbelief. "I have put up with more crap the last few years than anyone!"

"And I was always there to help you!" She countered. "But you never understood the pain you were putting me through."

"You think I didn't?"

Sam and Jesse approached the garage, stopping in shock when they observed their friends in what was possibly the worst fight they'd ever had. They stood in silence as the couple continued to throw accusations at each other.

"Why can't you understand that I was trying to do the right thing?!"

"Because you always do what's right for you!"

Sam, deciding that enough was enough, stepped in with his hands held out. "Okay guys, that's enough."

The two of them continued to argue, oblivious to Sam's presence.

"Knock it off!" Sam's booming baritone finally got their attention. Michael and Fi turned their heads, surprised to find Sam and Jesse there.

"We know you guys are going through a lot right now, but we've got important things to do. Those kids deserve to be found, and that's not going to happen if we're standing here fighting." Jesse tried to rationalise with them.

The two of them remained silent, nodding towards the others. The four of them quickly got to work, with Michael and Fi staying as far away from each other as possible. Fiona worked silently on her task, her mind swimming with all of the new information she had just discovered. She lost herself in the job, trying to distract herself from his presence. For the first time in all the years that they had known each other, she was unsure of how to handle the man on the opposite side of the garage.


	6. Chapter 6

_Hi guys! I'm uploading this later than I wanted to, but once again life and work got in the way, plus there was one section of this chapter that I kept having disagreements with. Everyone seemed to enjoy Michael and Fi's fight last chapter haha, I agree with the thought that they really needed to have it out at each other, as they often did on the show. A lot of you commented on Michael's true intention in returning to his job and breaking his promise to Fi, that will be touched on in this chapter. As always, thank you so much for all of your reviews! This story has passed the 50 reviews mark, which has never happened to me before, so I am honestly blown away. I hope this next chapter shows you all how much I appreciate it._

 _To quickly respond specifically to philliesfan1000, a lot of your observations about season 7/this story are accurate. Michael's main problem is the idea that he has to save everyone. To paraphrase Anson in season 5, "the boy who never felt safe at home had to save the world". Michael does some pretty terrible things at times, but he has a strong moral conviction to do what is right, although it isn't always possible, especially for some jobs, such as working for the CIA. We even see him go too far with this in the actual season 7 towards the end, when he wants to join James' cause; because he's been lied to by so many people that he actually believes he's doing the right thing. As well as his need to save people, it goes with his need to protect people, usually from himself, because he feels like they will be better off without him. That's why he left Fi with Jesse in Last Stand; because he knew he was going to die and he didn't think she deserved to die by being with him. He left her behind because he thought she deserved better, but she obviously showed him how she felt, and said that she hates him making decisions about their relationship without her. That's why he's struggling in this story about whether to confess the real reason he broke his promise to her. He loves her and wants her to understand that he didn't want to take it, but he also knows what he's put her through and thinks she could be better off without him. He is simultaneously being selfless and selfish. He did tell her this in the fight previously, but she still doesn't know the full extent, and what they said was obviously caught up in the emotion. I hope this chapter answers some of that for you, and thank you for your long reviews!_

 _Anyway, I'm done with my rambling now! I just really enjoying analysing this show, and Michael and Fi in particular, so I can kind of go on for awhile haha. I hope you all enjoy this chapter! I've been waiting to upload this one. It's the longest one yet, and I'm sure you'll like the ending ;)_

Chapter Six:

The following day, the team was straight back to work, choosing to ignore the tension that still hung between Michael and Fiona. Unbeknownst to the other, they had both tossed and turned in bed for hours, repeatedly picking up their phones, ready to call each other, before losing their nerve and giving up.

"I knew it you guys, I knew it was the nanny. I could tell she was faking it when we spoke to her." Fiona seethed.

Sam had checked with his cop buddies and dug into the nanny, Rebecca's, financials, only to find a large payment made to her a few days before the kidnapping. Along with some other evidence the team had found, they had enough to link her to the crime, and had headed to her apartment to interrogate her.

"Remember, Fi, we're not going to kill her." Sam warned her. "We need her to tell us where the kids are, and she can't be bleeding too much for that to happen."

"She can still bleed a little." Fi muttered.

"Okay, guys, synchronise our attack for exactly two minutes from now. Sam and I'll take the front, Fi and Jesse take the back." Michael ordered.

Everyone nodded and took up their post. The moment their watches went off, they each advanced inside the house, taking the resident by surprise. Michael and Sam advanced on her, immediately cable tying her to a chair.

"Alright." Sam started. "Let's get right to it. We know you had a part in the kidnapping of those kids, and you're going to tell us where they are."

"What? I don't know what you're talking about." Rebecca stuttered.

"Oh, cut the crap." Fiona rolled her eyes. "We know you were paid $10 000 to get the code for the security system and information about the security cameras."

"No, no, it wasn't like that!" The young nanny cried. "When I got home from vacation with Mr Greenwood and the kids there were men here in my apartment. They had guns, and they told me if I didn't help them get the security code, or if I told my boss, they would kill me. They'd already scouted the house while we were gone. I really like Mr Greenwood, and I love those kids, but I didn't want to die! I gave it to them, and that was all I heard from them, until some money appeared in my bank account. I didn't know they going to kidnap the kids, I thought they were just going to rob the house! I'm so sorry!" She dissolved into tears before the team.

Sam and Michael looked at each other. This wasn't what they had been expecting.

"Can you describe the men at all?" Michael asked, turning back to Rebecca.

"They were wearing black masks, but they were fairly tall, about your height, and very tanned. They had accents and were speaking Spanish to each other."

"And they didn't say anything about where they were taking the kids?" Jesse prodded.

She shook her head tearfully. "I mean, I'm sure they did, but I don't speak Spanish. I couldn't understand them."

"You and me both." Michael muttered under his breath.

Sam sighed and looked back at Michael. "Mike, we gotta let her go, and go talk to Brian."

Michael nodded and leaned forward to cut the zip ties free. "Sorry about that. But don't leave town, or we'll definitely tell your boss about your part in this."

/

"I've got it!" Jesse shouted suddenly.

The other three members of the team turned to him, jumping a little at his volume. They were all in Madeline's garage, pouring through the client's work files, trying to find the last piece of the puzzle to figure out who had taken Brian's children.

"I got you, you little bastard." Jesse whispered, loud enough for the others members of the room to hear him.

"Want to fill us in, Jesse?" Michael asked, amusement colouring his voice.

"Yeah, so six years ago, Mr Greenwood invested in a manufacturing company that operated out of a warehouse. There was a fire one night as a result of faulty wiring, and an employee died in the warehouse. Here's the police report." Jesse slapped the paper down on the bench in front of them.

"Was Greenwood at fault?" Fi asked, peering down at the file.

"No, it was ruled as an accident, but another employee filed a lawsuit against him for damages that she received in the fire. She was trapped under a fallen beam and had to have multiple surgeries on her legs once she was rescued. Mr Greenwood ended up settling and the matter was closed."

"What was that employee's name?" Michael asked, picking up another page of the report.

"Nicole Hawke." Fiona read off the page.

Michael groaned as the information confirmed his suspicions. "Guys, she's related to the man who died." He passed the paper to Sam, who read it out to the others.

"Jacob Hawke, aged 19, was pronounced dead at the scene. His sister, Nicole, survived." He confirmed.

"She received almost a million dollars in compensation." Fi added, looking up from her page. "That's more than enough money to hire someone to kidnap three kids."

"She lost her family, now she wants to take his." Michael said slowly.

"If we want to save those kids we need to find her, fast." Sam said urgently.

/

A quick call to some of Sam's real estate contacts gave them an address to try. The team pulled up to the house, climbing out of their vehicles before pulling on their Kevlar vests and retrieving their weapons. Considering three children's lives were at risk, there wasn't time for an elaborate plan.

"Everyone ready?" Michael asked. The other three nodded. Jesse and Sam headed around the side of the house to enter through the front door.

Fi quickly picked the lock on the door, Michael standing watch beside her with his gun drawn. Once the door swung open she stood back and allowed him to clear the path, following him as backup. The ease with how quickly they slipped back into their typical roles was not lost on her.

The sound of people struggling and fighting drew their attention, and the couple headed down the hall towards the noise. A moment later, Sam and Jesse exited the room in question, having disarmed and knocked out the two guards who had been watching television.

The team of four headed up the stairs, Michael taking point with Sam at the back. When they reached the top they each broke off, running towards separate doors and trying the handles.

"This one!" Fi called, having found the one that was locked. The boys rushed over to her and she attempted to pick the lock, before discovering that she couldn't. She stood back, drawing her gun again as Michael and Jesse nodded to each other. They silently counted down from three, stepping forward and aiming a foot each at the door, which gave in under the pressure.

The team rushed through the door with their guns at the ready; to find three very scared children huddled together in the corner of the room.

Fi immediately slipped her gun away and approached the kids carefully, trying not to scare them. She trusted the guys to have her back anyway.

"Get away from them!" The young boy yelled, moving in front of his sisters to protect them.

"Hey buddy," Michael moved forward carefully. "We're not here to hurt you, we're here to take you back to your dad, ok? He's been really scared so he sent us to find you."

"Do you promise?" The youngest child's small voice piped up.

Fiona's heart almost broke at the scared tone in the little girl's voice. "We promise, honey."

Michael and the young boy stared at each other for a few moments. Michael's gaze must have been convincing enough for him, because the boy finally nodded at him in acceptance. Fi stepped forward to take his hand, Michael moved forward to pick up the youngest girl, and Jesse moved in to hold the other daughter against his side.

Sam took point as the group moved out of the room and back down the stairs, holding his gun at the ready.

"Leaving so soon?"

The four adults and three children froze, and then whirled around to face the petite woman before them. Her brown eyes blazed with fury and determination. She walked towards them with a gun outstretched, a slight limp obvious in her movement.

Sam stepped closer to Michael cautiously, taking the young girl from his arms. Once the child had been removed from his grasp, Michael stepped forward, shielding the others behind him.

"Nicole," he said, a warning tone clear in his voice. "You don't want to do this. These kids, they didn't deserve any of this, and harming them is not going to bring your brother back."

"My brother didn't deserve to die in that fire!" The woman yelled. "It was all Greenwood's fault!"

"You know that's not true," Michael stepped forward, his hands outstretched. "It was an accident."

"Shut up!" She screamed. "You all deserve to die!"

The team simultaneously took a step back, away from the mad woman's ranting. Michael turned his head slightly to lock his eyes onto Fi's. She understood what he was saying even without words, and subtly began moving backwards towards the door, Sam and Jesse quickly catching on.

"Hey!" Nicole screamed, pulling a gun from behind her, aiming it towards the group of children with adults shielding them.

"Go!" Michael yelled to the rest of them, running forward and diving into the assailant, disarming her of the weapon. Bullets went off as they both struggled to gain the upper hand.

The rest of the team ran from the house with the children in their arms. Once they made it back to the cars, Fiona turned around to see where Michael was. If he wasn't out in exactly ten seconds, no one would be able to stop her going back for him.

Suddenly, there was a large explosion, and the ground beneath them shook. All of them turned away from the house, then back again to witness the sight before them.

 _No. No, no, no, no_ Fiona thought as she stared at the red-orange flames erupting from the house.

"Michael!" She cried out once her mouth had caught up with her brain. She began to run towards the burning building, but was stopped by a pair of strong arms wrapping around her waist.

"Sam! Let me GO!" She screamed.

"I'm sorry, Fi." His voice was heavy with grief and regret. "I can't let you go in there."

"No! Michael! Please!" Fiona screamed, falling to her knees.

Sam was right behind her, holding her even tighter. He clenched his eyes shut, trapping the tears that were threatening to break free at the thought of his best friend being gone. Jesse stood behind them with the three kids, staring at the house with a grief stricken expression. Michael was the master of close calls and dangerous encounters, was this really how it ended for him?

The group stared at the building in silence; only the sound of Fiona's sobs filled the air.

Suddenly, a lone figure emerged from the side of the house. Sam's eyes widened in disbelief and then morphed into absolute relief when he recognised the form of his best friend. _Thank God,_ he thought.

Fiona was still bent at the waist, slumped towards the ground. Sam grabbed her hand to try and turn her attention to Michael's approach.

"Fi, it's alright, look!"

Fiona lifted her head and gasped at the sight of her wayward lover, safe and unharmed. She scrambled to her feet and bolted towards Michael, crashing into him with full force. Seeing him emerge from another burning building and running into his arms was causing her to relive the consulate bombing, something she rarely let herself think about.

Michael's arms came to wrap around her smaller body as she crashed in to him, holding her tightly against his chest.

"It's okay, Fi. I'm alright." He soothed her softly.

"Thank God." She sobbed. "I thought …"

"I know, I'm sorry." He murmured.

"I thought I lost you." She gasped through her tears.

"I'm okay, Fi. I promise." He whispered into her hair reassuringly.

Sam and Jesse watched their friends, silently hoping that things between them would improve now. It was obvious to everyone how they felt about each other. Sam lifted his head to the sky, and said a silent prayer of thanks to the universe.

/

Michael and Fi drove silently back to Brian's house in her car, Sam and Jesse following them with the kids. The two of them did not communicate or make any contact, apart from Fiona tightly grasping Michael's hand in hers the entire way. There was an unspoken agreement between them to complete the job before dealing with their own issues. If there was one thing they were both skilled at, it was separating their personal lives from their professional.

Fiona pulled her car to stop outside Brian's house, Sam following suit behind her. She and Michael both climbed from her car, and headed to Sam's to open the doors for the kids.

"Dad!"

Brian Greenwood stared at his kids in disbelief, before running towards them. All three children collided with him in a mess of arms and legs. Tears running down the man's face, he held all of them tightly, hugging and kissing each of them. He looked up to the team of four, thanking them over and over again.

Fiona blinked back her own tears, lifting a hand to try and wipe away the moisture as subtly as possible. Michael, noticing her actions, reached behind her to place his hand on her lower back, the most affection that he would typically allow in front of others. She turned her head to offer him a watery smile, and his eyes softened on her.

/

"Why didn't you just tell me how serious it all was, and why you took the offer?"

After finishing the job, Fi had agreed to come back to Michael's hotel room and talk about everything. It was clear his near death experience was still playing in her mind, for she allowed much more contact than there had been between them in months.

"You've given up so much for me, Fi." His voice was filled with regret. "It's not fair for me to keep dragging you down. I couldn't let you spend the rest of your life in a holding cell, or be deported back by MI6. I knew that you'd be angry that I took the deal, but at least you'd be safe."

"There you go again with that white knight crap again." She rolled her eyes. "Michael, it's not your job to save the world."

"Maybe not, but I can save you. Especially from me."

"How can you think like that? I told you years ago, all I've ever wanted is to be with you. When will you ever get it into your head that this is what I want? I don't blame you for the things I've had to give up, because it means I have you. But if I don't have you, I don't have anything. Don't you get that?" She asked in frustration.

"Look at all the mistakes I've made, Fi. I don't deserve you, I never have."

"That is not up for you to decide! We've all made mistakes Michael, but it's how we handle them. You never asked me what I think about any of this!"

They stared at each other silently, their emotions written clearly across their faces. Michael sighed, and moved closer to take her hands in his.

"I want to be with you, Fi, but if you're going to make me pick between you and my job, I can't do it. They've got a contract from me, and you'll all go back to jail if I leave."

"All I've ever wanted is for you to choose me instead of your job." She said sadly.

"I wanted to choose you this time, Fi, I really did. But they tied my hands. They knew I'd never let you spend the rest of your life in jail, or be deported back to Ireland." He was begging for her to understand.

"I know." She whispered. "I understand now, I really do. I just wish it could be different."

"Me too, Fi, me too." He said solemnly.

She sighed. "Is there a time limit on this deal?"

Michael winced. "They weren't so clear on that. All they mentioned was this one specific mission that will take quite a few months. After that, I don't know."

Fi nodded, her expression blank. While she now understood Michael's reasons for returning to his job, their life together was still disintegrating before her eyes. For a brief moment she'd allowed herself to be hopeful, to think back on his promise in Panama, but now there seemed no end in sight.

"Fi, I will do absolutely everything in my power to do this job quickly, and find a way out." He grasped her hands tightly and looked at her before dropping his eyes to the ground. "But if you decide that you don't want to wait, that you want to move on with your life, I would understand." Even as he said it, he could feel his chest tightening.

She stared at him for a long minute, her face completely serious.

"Michael, when I thought you'd chosen your job over me, it hurt. Honestly, it felt like you didn't care about me. But now that you've explained this to me, the situation is different. I'm not giving up on you, on us. As long as you don't, that is."

"I Just want you to be happy, Fi." He said honestly.

"You make me happy, Michael." She answered. "But I can't be the only one in this. I can't do it without you."

He took her hands in his. "You won't have to, Fi. I can't lose you again." He leaned forward to press his forehead against hers. "I just wish things could be different. I really did want to get out."

She brought a hand up to his face, cupping his cheek gently. "I know." She said softly. She finally understood.

He stared into her eyes, his hand coming up to trail his fingertips across her cheek. He took her hand that still rested on his face and brought it to his lips, kissing it softly.

She leaned forward to kiss him, surrendering and falling into him as he responded with vigour. She ran her fingers through his hair, scarcely able to believe that he was here with her.

"I missed you so much." She gasped.

"I missed you too." He murmured against her lips, before capturing them with his again. "I'm sorry, Fi. I'm so sorry."

"I know." She whispered back. "It's okay now, Michael."

He drew her up into his arms, pulling her lithe body so that she was straddling his lap. She continued kissing his face, worshipping him with her touch. He returned the sentiment, running his hands across her back. He couldn't believe that she was here with him.

He pulled back for a moment, smiling at Fiona's small whine as he pulled away. He looked deep into her eyes, looking for permission to continue. She gave it to him with a nod, and he responded by flipping their bodies over onto the mattress.

As he kissed and held her, Michael still couldn't believe what was happening. He silently thanked the universe for bringing them back together, before returning all of his focus to the only woman he had ever loved.


	7. Chapter 7

_Hi guys! Thank you, as always, to those people who reviewed the last chapter. I really do appreciate it. I'm glad you all liked that Michael and Fi are back together, I'd been waiting to get to that part. I told you I couldn't make you wait too long! To those reviewers who wondered if that was the last chapter, it is not. I haven't finished this story entirely yet, but this is roughly the half way mark. This chapter is the start of the second half of the story. Our favourite couple are back together, but they still have Michael's work with the CIA to deal with. I'm excited to start moving forward with this, and I hope you enjoy it. Please review to let me know your thoughts._

Chapter Seven:

Sunlight peeked in through the balcony doors of the hotel room, awakening Michael and setting his senses on alert. Without even opening his eyes he could feel Fiona's body pressed against his, smell the scent of her hair that was draped over his arm. He breathed in deeply, savouring the moment before peeling his eyelids apart. Once he caught sight of her lying beside him, he released his breath, finally able to confirm that he was not dreaming.

Fiona returned to consciousness as she felt Michael's body move beneath her. She opened her eyes slowly, feeling happy yet strange to be waking up beside him for the first time in so long. She tilted her head up towards him.

"Hi." She whispered.

"Hi." He whispered back. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. You?"

He nodded with a small smile.

"What do you want to do today?" He asked, brushing his hands through her soft hair.

Fiona shrugged. "I don't mind. I'm good with staying here." She smirked, her eyes twinkling.

Michael laughed at her expression; happy to finally see the side of her he had missed so much. "I have no problems with that. Do you mind if we maybe go see my mom though? I know she's missed you, and she'd love to see you." He asked hopefully.

Fi nodded. "Yeah, I've missed her too. It was just hard to see her when …" She trailed off, looking up at him.

Michael nodded in understanding. "I get it, Fi, and my mom does too. That's why I know she'd love to see us now that we're back toget-" He stopped before finishing his sentence, looking at her with uncertainty clouding his features.

Fi raised her eyebrows in confusion at him.

"I mean, are we … you know, together?" Michael finished awkwardly. He felt like a teenager again, asking a girl to go out with him. Only Fi could make him feel that way.

Fiona chuckled. "I thought we covered that last night."

"Just checking that you haven't changed your mind." He said honestly.

Fi propped herself up on an elbow, pressing her lips against his. "Nope. You're not getting rid of me now."

Michael smiled that special smile that he saved just for her. "Good. Now, hold on for a second."

He untangled himself from her and climbed out from under the sheets, stopping to slip his pants back on.

"I got you something."

Fiona's eyebrows rose at Michael's statement. He wasn't one to buy her things just out of the blue. She could recount the very few times he'd given her a gift that wasn't for her birthday.

She watched as he turned away to rifle in a shopping bag that he'd hidden in a corner. He turned back to her, the object in question hidden behind him.

A little confused, she slid out from under the covers, bending down to pick up his discarded button up shirt from the floor, slipping it on and doing up the first few buttons. The shirt swallowing her smaller frame, she stepped forward so that she was standing just in front of him.

"Here." He said simply, bringing it in front of him and presenting it to her.

Her mouth dropped slightly as she took the snow globe into her own hands. _Welcome to Miami_. The small object was identical to the one he'd given her so many years ago, the one that had been burned as the loft went up in flames. She had hated leaving it behind, as it was one of the few tangible objects from her relationship with Michael, but she'd known it would've been too risky to take it with them.

She blinked rapidly to clear the moisture that had formed in her eyes. _It's just a snow globe_ she told herself. But it was so much more than that.

"I know I've got a lot of making up to do," Michael said quietly. "But I thought this would be a good start."

Her eyes lifted to meet his, which were so full of hope that she could do nothing other than lean up and kiss him fiercely, trying to convey all her love and gratitude to him.

"Thank you," she whispered against his lips as she pulled back slightly. "I love it."

Michael stared into her eyes, a hand rising to cup her cheek in his palm. "I love you." He said quietly, but firmly.

Fiona couldn't stop her eyes from widening. He'd said it that day on the beach just over a week ago, but it was like she was now hearing him say it for the first time. She wasn't the kind of woman who needed big gestures or constant reassurances. She preferred the simple things. She'd known for years how Michael felt about her, had heard it in his voice every time he claimed he couldn't lose her. She'd seen the love in his eyes the day he visited her in prison, as they'd both broken into tears on opposite sides of the glass and he'd comforted her with stories from their past, recalling the day they had met. While Michael had been trained to disguise his feelings, she was the one person who'd always been able to see past his façade, a fact she was proud of. She knew how he felt about her, but hearing him say it so clearly and simply was enough to shock her into silence.

She stepped in closer to his body, resting her forehead against his chin, her hands still clutching at his shoulders.

"Say it again." She whispered.

He ducked his head down so that his mouth was pressed against her ear. "I love you." He said softly, his voice full of conviction.

She squeezed her tear filled eyes together. "I love you, too." She whispered fiercely.

He melded his lips to hers, and she pulled him backwards with her, making their way over to the bed. Allowing Michael a moment to safely place her snow globe down, she pulled him so that his body fell on top of hers, content to waste the rest of the day away …

/

"Michael!" Madeline said happily when her son came in through the front door later that night. She gasped and then beamed when she noticed Fiona was right behind him. "Oh, Fi! Come here!"

She rushed forward to embrace the younger woman, hugging her tightly as Michael closed the door and watched on in amusement.

"Good to know who you love more, Mom." He said, only partly joking.

"I saw you the other day." Madeline waved him off. "Oh, I've missed you honey!" She said, turning back to Fiona.

"I've missed you too, Madeline." Fiona smiled.

"And I'm just so happy to have you both here." She squeezed Fi one last time before reaching forward to pat Michael's cheek affectionately.

"We brought dinner for us all." Michael held up the bag for his mother to see, before moving to the kitchen to put it down.

"Good, you can serve it up for us, can't you dear?" Madeline called back to him, not so much asking as she was telling.

Fiona smirked at the look on Michael's face, before allowing Maddie to pull her towards the table, sitting down in a chair beside her.

"Now, forgive me for prying dear, but are you two …" Maddie asked, lowering voice in an attempt to avoid Michael from hearing.

Fi smiled and patted the older woman's hand comfortingly. "Yes, we're back together."

"And are you both happy?" She asked cautiously.

Fi smiled again. "Yes."

"Oh, thank God for that." Madeline snorted, pulling a cigarette from her pack.

Fiona laughed at her response as Michael came over with plates for dinner, placing them in front of the women. He took a seat next to Fi, who sat at the head of the table, with his mother across from him.

"So, what have you two been up to lately?" Madeline asked.

"Just finishing up a job with Sam and Jesse." Fi shrugged. "Same old."

"So if you're doing jobs with your friends again Michael, that must mean you're staying, right?" Madeline smiled at her son.

Michael's throat clenched, and he carefully placed his fork down. "Uh, actually Mom …"

Madeline looked from Michael to Fiona, and then back again. Her eyes narrowed as realisation hit her.

"No, Michael, do not tell me that you're going to disappear again, just leave me, leave poor Fiona! What is wrong with you? After everything that's happened this year you still want to go off –"

"Mom …" Michael tried to interrupt, but Madeline continued on her tirade.

"We don't deserve this, Michael! Especially Fi! You're just going to leave again, after everything you've put her through?"

"Madeline." Fiona said firmly, reaching out to place a hand on her arm and calm the older woman. "Just let us explain, alright?"

Madeline stopped and nodded, showing that she was willing to listen.

Fiona took in a deep breath and turned to Michael, silently asking him to start.

"Mom, when the CIA had us all in custody for those weeks, while they were interviewing you, they were recapping everything I did over the last few months. I was well aware that what I was doing was wrong, but I felt that I had a purpose behind it all. They had enough to put me away for the rest of my life. Sam, Fi and Jesse would've gone down too, because they had a part in everything I did, and you would've been guilty by association. The CIA was very clear that the only way to avoid a lifetime in jail for us all was to accept their offer of coming back to work for them."

Madeline stared at her son. "You mean … you didn't want to go back?"

Michael sighed. "I took the job because I didn't have any other options. It was accept it, or watch you all spend the rest of your lives behind bars. They wanted to deport Fi, Mom. I couldn't let any of that happen."

Fiona reached over to place her hand over his comfortingly. She turned to Madeline, taking over the story.

"I was angry too, Madeline. I didn't understand, and I was hurt. But now that I've given Michael the chance to explain it to me, I know where he's coming from, and the decision he had to make. It doesn't mean I like it, but we don't have any other options."

Madeline's heart broke as she looked at the woman that she had long since considered her daughter-in-law. It was clear the pain that the younger woman was feeling, but she was trying to put on a brave face for her partner.

She turned to address her son. "When do you have to leave?"

"I have another week or so of vacation time left."

"And how long will you be gone?"

"I'm not quite sure." He answered honestly. "It'll be shorter trips to start off with, where I can come home in between, but I won't be able to tell you exactly when I'll be back." The regret in his tone was clear for all of them to hear.

"Alright. Well, we'll have to have a dinner with everyone before you go then." Madeline said, turning back to her meal.

Michael and Fi looked at each other, knowing that was the end of the discussion for now. His mother would surely let her feelings be known once she'd finished processing.

/

Madeline did organise that dinner with everyone. Two nights before Michael was scheduled to leave, his mother summoned all of them to her house for a barbeque. Fortunately she designated the actual barbequing role to Sam, who was happy to do so, as long as he was provided with as many beers as he wanted.

Michael grabbed another cold one from the fridge for his best friend, and one for himself, heading out through the kitchen to the backyard. As much as he appreciated what his mother was doing for him, he was silently glad that she had left the day before his departure to be for just him and Fi.

He made his way over to the barbeque, passing the beer to Sam.

"Ah, thanks Mikey!" The older man said appreciatively.

"No worries." He answered.

The two men chatted about mindless things for a few minutes, before Michael fell silent. Sam looked at his friend in concern.

"Everything alright, brother?"

Michael sighed. "I have to ask you something, Sam."

"Anything, Mike. You know that." Sam said, a little confused.

Michael fixed him with his serious expression. "I need you to watch out for Fi while I'm gone. My mom too, but mostly Fi. I know she doesn't need it, but just …"

Sam nodded in understanding. "I get it, Mike. You know I'll look out for her. Just don't tell her that." He laughed.

Michael cracked a smile, but sobered back to his serious expression quickly. "I don't want to leave."

Sam looked at his friend in shock. For years, all the younger man had done was talk about getting his job back, working towards that goal. It was hard to believe it was the same man standing in front of him now.

Michael met his eyes, understanding the ex-SEAL's silence. "I've screwed up so many times, Sam. She's forgiven me, and promised that she's okay with me leaving, but I'm scared she could change her mind while I'm gone." He'd never been this honest or open with his best friend before. Fiona was the only person who ever saw this side of him, but he had learnt a lot over the last few weeks. He wanted to be better at communicating with the people he cared about.

"Mike, you know that won't happen." Sam reassured him. "That girl's crazy about you. Hasn't she proved that enough times?"

Michael nodded silently.

"Just look after her for me?" He asked quietly.

Sam nodded, his face turning serious. "You know I will."

Michael nodded his thanks and clapped his friend on the back.

Madeline's voice rang out to them through the door. "Boys! Dinner's ready!"

Michael helped Sam carry the last of the food into the house, making their way towards the table. Michael slipped into his seat next to Fi, while Sam sat across from them with Jesse.

Michael looked around the table at his makeshift family. Never in his life had he imagined he'd miss leaving people behind. He'd left countless times before, yet right now he'd never been so reluctant to do so.

He felt Fi's hand fall to his thigh and squeeze gently. He turned his head to look her, forcing a smile to his face. She smiled back softly, her eyes telling him that she understood exactly what he was thinking. She always did.

/

"Do you have everything you need?" Fiona asked softly, watching from her seated position on the bed as Michael zipped up his bag.

He looked up at her, his chest constricting at the brave face she was putting on, even though he could see through it clearly. Their week together had gone far too quickly, and there was nothing he wanted more than to stay with her.

"Yeah." He replied softly. "I have everything."

She nodded, pushing herself up from the bed to stand in front of him. They stared at each other, neither sure of what to say.

Michael stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Fiona's small frame and enveloping her against his chest. He breathed in the scent of her hair from the top of her head resting below his, and allowed himself a brief moment of peace.

"I know this is a stupid thing to say, but I'm going to say it anyway." Her voice came from against his chest. "Please be careful."

He pulled back and tilted his head down to look into her eyes. "I promise, Fi."

She nodded before leaning in and pressing her lips against his firmly.

"Are you going to slap me this time?" He chuckled, remembering a time she'd said goodbye to him years before, where she'd given him more than just a kiss as reminder to be careful.

She smiled back, showing him that she did recall that moment. "No, I don't think you need it this time. Because you know that if you're not careful, I'll make you pay for it next time I see you." She threatened.

He repressed a smile, knowing that she was being completely serious. "I know, Fi."

She let out a deep breath. "Okay. I'll see you in a few weeks."

"I'll call when I can." He promised.

She nodded wordlessly.

He leaned forward, bringing his mouth to hers and his hands to rest steadily on her back. She fell into the kiss, letting herself forget about his departure, if only for a moment.

He pulled back slightly. "I love you." He whispered against her lips.

She squeezed her eyes shut, memorising the moment. They hadn't been saying it constantly to each other, but they were both making an effort to tell each other regularly. She didn't think she'd ever get used to hearing him say it. "I love you, too." She whispered back.

They stayed locked together for as long as they could, before Michael eventually pulled back reluctantly.

"I'd better go." He said regrettably.

"Yeah." Fi nodded. "Be safe."

He nodded and stepped forward for one more brief kiss. Once he did, he gave her one last smile and grabbed his bag, heading out of the hotel room. If he didn't leave now, there was a good chance he wouldn't at all.

Fi watched him leave, her heart feeling heavier than it had in weeks.

 _It'll be okay,_ she reminded herself. _He'll be back._

He always came back to her eventually. She just prayed he still would this time.


	8. Chapter 8

_Hey guys! As always, thank you to those people who review each chapter, I really do appreciate it. I love hearing what you guys think, and it's so fun when you start guessing about what might happen next! I love reading your theories and seeing if they line up with what I've already written. Please keep reviewing, the more reviews I get, the more I'm inclined to upload faster! This is a chapter that I wrote really early on during the process of this story, so I'm glad to be finally uploading it. You will recognise the plot of this chapter, as I have adapted 7.02 Forget Me Not, which is an episode that I have a love/hate relationship with. No episode of any tv show has ever made me cry this hard as I did when I watched it for the first time. I loved finally seeing the backstory of Michael and Fi meeting in Ireland, but obviously it was very painful having them separated and seeing her with Carlos, which obviously does not happen here! I always wondered how that episode could have gone if Michael and Fi were together, which served as quite an idea for this story. It's therefore not the exact same, but the general storyline is there. Obviously any lines I've used that are from the episode do not belong to me, nor do the plot points I have taken from that episode. I hope you enjoy this, please let me know your thoughts!_

Chapter Eight:

Fiona's hotel room was filled with darkness, the silver light of the moon peeking in through the curtains. Suddenly, the sound of the door clicking open roused her from her sleep. She bolted up immediately, reaching under her pillow for her gun. She cocked the weapon, aiming it towards her unseen target.

"Don't shoot, Fi, it's me."

The familiar sound of her boyfriend's voice, coloured with amusement, filled her ears. She dropped her weapon back to the mattress.

"Michael! Do you want to give me a heart attack?"

He chuckled as he made his way through the darkness to the bed and crawled in beside her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him against her tightly.

"Sorry." He murmured, covering her mouth with his.

Fi kissed him back before pulling away to question him. "What are you doing getting back in the middle of the night?"

"The mission finished sooner than expected, so they let me come home early."

"Hmm, glad to hear it." She murmured. "So, how did it go?"

"A coupe of minor hiccups, but overall, pretty well." He told her, pulling her against his chest.

"Mm, that's good." She was almost asleep again, lying in the comfort of his arms. "I'm glad you're home.

He smiled softly, though she was unable to see in the darkness. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and settled himself down. "Me too, Fi."

He awoke hours later with the sunlight streaming on his face. He opened his eyes to find Fi beside him, rolled on her side facing him with a soft smile on her face. He had missed her immensely over the last month and a bit. He'd been away on his mission for six weeks, though it had felt like a lifetime to him. He'd been able to call Fi on a weekly basis, even managing to call his mother occasionally. Now, lying beside his girlfriend, he remembered how he wished things could be.

"Hi." His voice was slightly croaky from sleep.

"Hi." She said simply. The two of them laid in silence for a few minutes, Michael stroking her hair softly.

"So, how was it?" She repeated her question from hours ago, now that she was fully awake and able to concentrate.

Michael sighed heavily. "It was fine, I got the target and the job done but it's just …" He trailed off midsentence.

"It's just what?" She questioned softly after a long pause.

"It's really different now, Fi. I don't know what it is, but it's not the same anymore. I couldn't wait to be done with it."

"You've been through a lot of the last few years, Michael." She reminded him gently. "And you've had a tough year. I can imagine it's going to feel a bit different for awhile, until you get back into it."

"Yeah." He sighed. He appreciated her support, especially since he knew she still didn't approve of him working for the agency, but he still couldn't get rid of the feeling in the pit of his stomach. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but he knew he didn't like it.

"I missed you." She said softly, trying to remove the uncertain look from his face.

He reached over to stroke her cheek with his fingertips, brushing a strand of hair away. "I missed you too."

"Even while you were in the midst of whatever dangerous thing you were doing?" She teased him.

"Always, Fi." He said with absolute seriousness.

/

"Hey, guys." Fi greeted Sam and Jesse as she entered the Carlito hand in hand with Michael. Their two friends smiled at the sight of the couple together.

"Hey, guys. Mike! We weren't expecting you back so soon!" Sam exclaimed, happy to see his best friend.

"Yeah, the job went well so they released me early." Michael smiled, taking a seat beside Fiona.

"Well, that certainly calls for a round of drinks!" Sam said, already calling a waitress over. The other three grinned at his antics.

"So, Mike, how'd it go?" Jesse asked, sipping on his beer.

"Pretty smoothly. Should be all good for the next step in a few weeks."

None of them pressed for more details, knowing that his work was technically classified again. They fell in to easy banter, filling Michael on what he'd missed while he'd been gone.

Suddenly, the ringing of Michael's phone cut off the conversation. He picked it up, frowning as he read the contact name.

"Sorry guys, it's the agency. I need to take this." He said, excusing himself to answer the call.

Fiona watched him leave, wondering why they were calling so soon after his mission had ended.

"So, Fi, how are things between you two?" Sam asked, genuinely concerned for his friends.

Fiona smiled at him. "You don't have to worry about that Sam, we're just fine now." She tried not to let it show just how touched she was by his concern.

Michael came back to the table, his face tighter than when he'd left. Fi immediately noticed the change in his demeanour.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her brow furrowed in concern.

"Nothing." He shook his head.

"Michael." She said, a warning tone to her voice. He should know by now that he couldn't distract her.

He sighed. "That was Agent Strong. It turns out the target from the job I just finished somehow found out who I really am, and now he's trying to find me. The agency is worried he might come here."

"Let him." Fiona said confidently. "We'll show him he's messing with the wrong people."

Sam and Jesse, on the other hand, seemed more concerned.

"How did he possibly find out?" Jesse asked.

"I have no idea." Michael shook his head. "He might have some contacts, someone who knows me. All I know is I have to keep my eyes open."

"Which means we all need to." Fiona clarified.

"Yeah, be on alert guys." Michael warned. "If he finds out anything about me, chances are it'll have to do with you as well."

"Okay, so we keep in regular contact." Sam nodded. "Can't hurt to be careful."

The other three nodded in agreement.

/

The next day, Michael was awoken early by the sound of his phone ringing. Fi murmured in her sleep as he slid out of bed to answer it.

"Yeah?"

"Westen, it's Strong. I have some bad news. It seems Gamble has figured out where you're from. We've had reports that he's touched down in Miami overnight."

Michael groaned, running a hand over his face. "Great. What do you want me to do?"

"We'd like you to apprehend him, especially since we're expecting him to make contact with you. Does that sound like a plan?"

"Trust me, it will be my pleasure."

"Great, I'll send a team to you immediately."

"One thing." Michael interrupted him. "If I have to have a team I want it to be mine. There's no one else I trust more than them."

Andrew Strong breathed out sharply. "Are you sure that's wise, Westen, your friends and your girlfriend? What if you're just putting them in harm's way?"

"They already are." Michael said honestly. "And I know them, they'll want to help, not be on the sidelines."

Strong sighed. "Ok, but if something goes wrong, remember that this was your idea."

Michael nodded, even though he knew Strong couldn't see him. "Noted."

As soon as he hung up, Michael called Sam and Jesse, asking them to meet him and Fi at Carlito's as soon as they could.

He walked back over to the bed, sitting down and running a hand up Fi's back.

"Fi, we need to go. We've got something to do."

"Michael, it's early." She whined. "What is so important?"

"I'll explain on the way." He promised.

/

"What's happened for us to get up this early, Mike?" Sam asked as soon as he and Fi sat down.

Michael sighed. "I got a call from Strong this morning. Gamble, the target from my last mission, has officially made his way to Miami to find me. The agency wants me to track him down before he can."

"What do you need us to do?" Jesse asked immediately, ready to help.

Michael looked at his friends seriously. "They wanted to send me a team, but I told him I wanted you guys. That is, if you're willing to be involved."

"Of course." Sam said.

"Hell yeah." Jesse chimed in.

Fiona rolled her eyes at what she considered to be a stupid question. No one could stop her from helping Michael when she was needed.

"So we need to get started right away?" Sam asked.

Michael nodded. "But first we need some firepower."

Fiona clapped her hands in delight at his statement.

Michael smiled at his girlfriend's predictable reaction. "Fi, can you try some of your old contacts to see if anyone has seen or heard anything?"

"Of course."

"Alright team, let's move out." Sam rallied, as the four of them abandoned their table.

/

"Here we go. We're prepared for pretty much anything." Jesse assessed as he stood in front of their collection of weapons.

"Good," Michael nodded as he began to load them into the trunk of Fi's car. "We may need it."

"Thank God your mom is away visiting Ruth and Charlie." Sam pointed out.

Michael nodded again, silently thanking the universe that she had picked that week for a trip to Vegas.

"Michael," Fiona called as she approached the three men. "I've just heard back from one of my contacts. I described Gamble to him and he had a tip about a man of his appearance at an abandoned auto shop downtown."

"Great, let's get going."

/

The auto shop had turned out to be a bust, with Gamble escaping before they could catch him. On the up side, they'd discovered a laptop that he had been using to service his communication. They'd managed to get it to a computer hacker they knew, who had been persuaded with cash and threats of violence (Fiona's mainly) to help them. That had lead them to a house where they believed Gamble was staying.

"Ok guys, fan out." Michael instructed when they arrived at the house. "Keep your radios on at all times."

The other three nodded in agreement before each heading off to a different section of the house's perimeter.

"Nothing here, Mike." Sam reported from his area.

"Same here." Agreed Jesse.

"Me too." Michael said. "Fi, what about you?"

"Ugh, there's a gardener poking around, and we definitely don't want him here when shots start firing. I'll get rid of him."

"Ok, let us know once you have." Michael requested.

Taking her thumb off the walkie-talkie as she moved, Fiona made her way around the corner.

"I'm telling ya Mikey, I reckon you owe us all beers after this." Sam joked with him.

Michael smiled, despite the seriousness of the situation. "Alright, Sam."

A couple of minutes later, he realised that Fi hadn't checked back in.

"Hey, Fi, what happened with the gardener?" He asked through his radio.

He was met with silence.

"Fi." He tried again.

Still nothing.

"Fi!" His voice rose in both pitch and volume.

"I'll go check on her Mikey, she's probably scaring the poor gardener half to death." Sam chuckled.

Michael waited anxiously as Sam headed around the corner, a sense of dread growing in the pit of his stomach.

"Mike! Get over here!"

Hearing the panic in his friend's voice, Michael abandoned his post immediately, tearing along the side of the house and around the corner. Jesse skidded up alongside him at the same time.

Sam stood in front of them, pointing at a piece of cloth that lay abandoned on the ground. Fiona was nowhere to be found.

Michael bent down to pick up the cloth and lifted it to his nose, picking up the faint scent of chloroform. His eyes widened in horror.

"He took Fi."


	9. Chapter 9

_Hi guys. I've been excited to upload this chapter, but I've been crazy busy at work this week, so it slipped my mind for a bit. Since I've had such a hectic week, I'd really appreciate reviews. Thank you as always to those people who do review, it really inspires me to keep writing and updating, and they really make my day. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, it's time to see what happens to Fiona now that Gamble has her! Haha. There's also an important conversation to be had. Obviously I do not own Burn Notice and I take no claim for the storyline that I have borrowed from the show, or any of the dialogue that I have used in this chapter that appeared in the actual episode. Let me know what you think!_

Chapter Nine:

 _Michael bent down to pick up the cloth and lifted it to his nose, picking up the faint scent of chloroform. His eyes widened in horror._

" _He took Fi."_

"Damn it!" Michael yelled. "He must've been waiting here for her! How could we have been so stupid?!"

"Okay, easy Mike." Sam tried to calm him down. "Fi can hold her own. We'll find a way to get to her."

"We have to Sam, I can't lose her!" The desperation in Michael's voice was clear.

"I know brother, I know. We'll get her back." Sam promised.

"Look, why don't you get on to Strong, let him know what happened." Jesse suggested. "Maybe he can send us some backup or something."

Michael nodded, and was about to answer when his phone began to buzz in his hand.

"Fi?" He answered frantically.

"Michael Westen. I believe I have something of yours."

Michael's voice became deathly quiet. "If you hurt her, I swear to God –"

"Oh, calm down Westen. I don't want to hurt her. And I don't have to, as long as you meet with me. I would like to discuss a deal with the CIA."

"Alright." He agreed instantly. "But I need to know she's okay."

"Okay, I'll send you a picture to show you just how much fun we're having." Gamble said. "But you come alone to our little meeting, alright? If I see anyone else, I'll slit her throat."

The dial tone sounded in Michael's ear as he struggled to control his racing heart.

"Mike! What happened?" Jesse asked urgently.

"He's got her." Michael answered hoarsely.

His phone buzzed again, this time with a picture message. He hastily opened it to find an image of Fiona, strapped to a chair with her mouth bound. She looked as scared as he'd ever seen her.

Sam and Jesse crowded his sides, leaning over his shoulder to see the picture.

"Jeez, Mike." Sam breathed.

"What's the plan?" Jesse asked, ready to jump into action.

"I'll call Strong, they should be here within the hour. Then I go in, and I'll get her back."

/

Within an hour, Michael, Sam and Jesse stood outside the abandoned warehouse Gamble had directed him to. Strong and the rest of his CIA team were setting up for the rescue mission.

Michael stared at the rundown building, trying to visualise Fi in there. He was suddenly transported back to their time in Ireland. How they'd met, with him approaching her for a dance, where she'd pulled a gun on him. How they'd blown up cars and spent time together in her little flat. He remembered with perfect clarity one particular conversation they'd had.

" _Why are you so quiet?" She asked softly as he strapped a bulletproof vest to her body._

" _I don't like the idea of people shooting at you." He confessed in his Irish accent that he'd adopted for the mission._

" _You're worried." She stated more than asked._

" _You're not?"_

" _One thing you'll learn about me, Michael McBride - I don't worry. Not since I was a little girl."_

"Westen?" Agent Strong called his name, breaking him out of his memories. "It's time to roll."

Michael nodded. _I'm coming for you, Fi. Just hold on_.

/

Michael drove a car up to the front of the building before calling Gamble.

The other man answered right away.

"Mr Westen? Cutting it a bit close."

Michael fought to restrain the string of profanities he wanted to direct at the man for taking his girlfriend.

"I'm here Gamble, alone and unarmed. You ready to talk about releasing Fiona?"

"Not so fast, Westen." The other man laughed. "I need to give you my demands. But first, take off your vest."

Michael obliged, removing his armour, lifting his shirt and turning around to prove he was not wired or carrying a gun.

"There, happy?"

"Ecstatic." Gamble replied dryly. "Now, I want one million in cash evenly divided between dollars, renminbi, reals and British pounds. I want a blank Canadian passport, a Lear 60 fuelled up on the runway at Opa-locka, and a clear flight path out of Miami. I'll keep Fiona and you with me until I'm on the plane."

"Deal." Michael said instantly. "I'll get you everything that you want, but first I talk to Fiona." His trained operative voice was firmly in place, removing any emotion towards the situation, knowing it wouldn't help in any way.

"Stop wasting time. I sent you proof of life." Gamble reminded him.

"That was over an hour ago. Put her on the phone." Michael countered.

"I'm the one giving the orders here."

"No deal." Michael said, turning to walk away. With every step he took his body remained in control, but his mind ravaged wild with thoughts of Fi. _Please, please, please_ he prayed.

"Stop right there. Stop, goddamn it." Gamble ordered when he realised Michael really was leaving. "Stop!"

Michael stopped, his eyes closing and a breath of air escaping in relief.

"Fine, you can talk to her." Gamble relented. "You get ten seconds of quality time Westen." He pulled Fiona's gag away from her mouth, held the phone in front of her and turned away, perhaps giving her the illusion of privacy. "Make it count."

"Fi." Michael said.

"I'm here, Michael." She responded, unable to keep the slight quiver out of her voice.

Michael was reminded of the story she'd told him in Ireland, when she'd told him what her father's code was in case they were in danger.

" _What it really meant was 'Get down on the floor, close your eyes and start praying til it's over'."_

"I'm gonna get you out of there, Fi." He promised her over the phone.

Fiona nodded, wanting to believe him, but knowing how much danger they were in, she was doubtful.

"And Fiona? It's time to be brave, little angel." He told her, closing his eyes as his voice reverted into his old Irish accent. _Please, please understand the message, Fi_ , he begged silently.

A split second later, he dove to the ground, taking cover from the hail of bullets being released by men with snipers behind him. He prayed that Fi was doing the same.

/

Michael paced back and forth anxiously, staring at the door as he waited for Fiona to emerge.

"She'll be ok, Mike." Sam attempted to comfort him.

"She'd better be, otherwise I –"

"Look, there!" Jesse pointed as the fourth member of their team exited the building behind a group of agents.

Michael managed to wait exactly two seconds before he ran towards her, shortening her journey to him.

She threw herself into his embrace as soon as she was close enough, one arm wrapping around his neck and the other around his waist. His hands rose to grip her close, one at her collarbone and the other at the small of her back.

"Thank god you're alright." He gasped into her hair.

She shivered delicately in his arms, at a loss for words, for once in her life.

" _Are_ you alright?" he asked desperately, concerned that she wasn't fine beyond the physical sense.

She nodded against his shoulder, and then raised her head to lock eyes with him. "I am now."

He leant forward to connect their lips, his fear and gratitude pouring out of him as he held her.

Her hand reached up to cup his face. "Thank you for coming to get me."

"I always will, Fi." He whispered.

She stared at him, her face breaking into the faintest smile. "You remembered my story."

He smiled back. "I'd never forget it."

/

Michael exited the bathroom a few hours later, having washed the horrible day off of him. He stopped in the doorway, a soft smile overtaking his face as he watched Fiona.

She was sitting cross-legged on the bed, running a brush through her damp hair absentmindedly, lost in thought.

Michael sat down beside her on the bed and gently pried the brush from her hand. "Let me."

Fiona smiled as he began to work the bristles through her long tresses, taking as much care and precision as he did with each task. She could recall the last time he'd brushed her hair, shortly after she'd been released from prison. Tears sprung to her closed eyes as his kind actions, along with the overwhelming events of the day, caught up to her.

Michael noticed instantly as she took in a sharp breath.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He breathed in concern, placing the brush down to turn her body towards him.

"Just a long day." She said simply.

Michael reached up to tenderly brush the tears from her cheeks. "I know. I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

"It's not your fault Michael." She reassured him.

"Yes, it is. If it weren't for me, Gamble would've never come after you."

"It's his fault Michael, not yours. You know these things happen."

Their eyes locked as they sat in silence. Michael reached up to push a strand of hair away from her face. "I'm still sorry."

She smiled at him softly and reached up to hold the palm of his hand against her cheek. "I know."

His thumb stroked her cheekbone as he stared at her with complete love and adoration.

"I want to quit." He said suddenly.

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "What?"

"I want to quit the CIA."

Fiona stared at him with a blank expression, unable to believe what he was saying.

"I can't do it anymore, Fi."

She gaped at him for a few more moments, before finding the words to respond.

"Michael … I know today was really hard, but-" She started softly before he cut her off.

"It's not just today, Fi. I mean, yes, it mostly is, but I've been feeling like this for weeks now. It's not the same anymore. I'm not the same. They keep saying they want the 'old' Michael Westen, and I don't even know how to be that. I can't do it anymore. And I shouldn't even have to! What have they done for me over the last few years? Cut me off, turn my life upside down, threaten my family, put you in danger, kill my brother …"

Fiona could see him heading past the point of agitation into anger. She leant forward, cupping his face between her hands and forcing his eyes to meet hers.

"Hey, hey." She soothed him. "I know, I know."

"I almost lost you, Fi." He said desperately. His eyes were wide, displaying every emotion he was feeling to her. She could see the fear, anger, desperation, and defeat.

"You didn't though." She kept whispering in her soothing voice. She leaned forward to wrap her arms around his strong chest. "I'm right here, Michael. I'm fine."

"I could've lost you Fi, and it would've been because of the CIA."

She could tell he wasn't just talking about today and what would've happened if Gamble had killed her.

Michael pulled back from her to look into her eyes. "I understand what you mean now, Fi. I get why you didn't want me to work for them again."

"Michael," she sighed. "I know I've always made it very clear how I feel about your work with the CIA, but you know I just want you to be happy. That's all I've ever wanted."

Michael looked at her, an expression of amazement covering his face. "I will never understand how you love me so much that you're willing for my happiness to take place over yours."

Fi shrugged, unable to explain it to him. "That's what love is."

Michael nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. You've always understood that, but I'm only just getting it. I want you to be happy too, Fi."

She smiled at him softly. "You make me happy, Michael. That's all I've ever wanted. Well, that and my guns and some explosives." She smirked.

Michael chuckled at her response, and then grasped her hands in his. "That's why I want to do this, Fi, so we can both be happy."

Fiona stared down at their hands, abnormally quiet.

"What are you thinking, Fi?" Michael asked softly. She always had an opinion on everything, so it was rather unnerving for her not to tell him her thoughts.

She lifted her eyes back to his reluctantly. "I'm scared that if you do this, you'll regret it later and you'll resent me for it. The whole time we've been in Miami, all you've wanted is to get your job back."

"People can change, Fi. I know it's hard to believe, but these last few years really have changed me. Even the last few weeks. I don't need the CIA to be happy. I just need you."

Fiona stared into his clear blue eyes, searching for the truth in what he was saying, what she so desperately wanted to believe. He was saying all the things she'd dreamt of hearing for years, and it was almost too good to be true.

"Are you sure?" She asked quietly. "Because I really can't do this again, Michael. If I lost you, that would honestly be it."

He surged forwards to bring her lips to his, trying to convey all of his love and commitment to her. When they separated he leant his forehead against hers, breathing her in.

"I know my promises don't mean much to you anymore, and I can't blame you for that, but I'm going to prove it to you. This is what I want, Fi. Not just for me, but for us."

She looked up him through her eyelashes, the last few remnants of doubt leaving her.

"I love you." She whispered, not wanting to break the magic of the moment.

"I love you, too." Michael whispered back, bringing his hand up to cup her jaw, and his lips back down to hers.


	10. Chapter 10

_Hi there guys. I hope you enjoy this next chapter. This story is about two thirds of the way through now. Michael has had a lot of realisations so far, a lot earlier than he did in the actual season 7, and now he's going to start making decisions regarding those realisations. This is one of the longest chapters I think I've published, so I hope that holds you over since the next one will take a little bit longer than usual. I've had most of this story prewritten, which is the reason I have updated fairly regularly. However, I've been so caught up with work lately that I've fallen behind with the newer chapters. Since I still need to write the next one, plus it's Easter next week, the next chapter will take a bit longer than usual, but I will do my best to have it up as soon as I can. Thank you to those people who say that they check for updates all the time, it really makes me happy. Thanks as well to those people who are still reviewing, I really appreciate it and it motivates me to update faster. Please continue to let me know your thoughts._

Chapter Ten:

The next morning, Fiona woke slowly. She could feel Michael's arm draped across her midsection and feel his soft breaths against her shoulder. She opened her eyes to take in the sight of her still peacefully sleeping boyfriend. She smiled at him. It wasn't too often that she woke before him, and she always appreciated the fact that she was the only person who got to see him this way; completely free from the weight of the world that constantly affected him.

She shifted her body slightly to face him better, and let out a small gasp as her body protested slightly at her movements. She winced; taking catalogue of her aches and bruises from her altercation with Gamble the day before.

Her sounds woke Michael, who transitioned from total slumber into complete alertness at a speed that most people could not contemplate.

"Fi? Are you alright?" He asked worriedly.

She smiled, touched by his concern. "I'm fine, Michael. Just a bit sore today, that's all."

He reached over to stroke her face gently. "You sure?"

She brought her hand up to hold his palm to her cheek. "I'm sure."

"How's your arm?" He asked, her bandaged forearm catching his attention. He took it into his hands gently.

"It's fine, just a scratch." She reassured him.

They laid in silence for a few moments before she spoke again.

"How do you feel about what you decided last night?" She asked, unable to hide the slight hesitation in her inquiry.

Michael's chest clenched at the realisation that she was still unsure about his intentions.

"Fi, I'm not changing my mind this time. This is the right thing to do. This is what I want." He attempted to reassure her.

She nodded slowly. She wanted so badly to believe him, but she wouldn't be able to completely until he was officially out. She had been down this road with him so many times before, and while she'd forgiven him and understood his reasons, she remained apprehensive.

"But Michael," she continued hesitantly. "How are you possibly going to quit when they have a contract from you? They've made the terms of your agreement very clear."

Michael sighed, knowing she was right. It was going to be very difficult to find his way around the contract he'd signed under duress. He certainly didn't want any of his family to be locked up in a CIA prison for the rest of their lives.

"I'll worry about that." He reassured her. "We'll think of something."

Fiona fixed him with her signature look that she used on him, but he just responded with his overly charming grin, to which she rolled her eyes.

"I've been thinking about how ridiculous it all is." Michael mused, when Fi did not speak. "You told me all those years ago to just leave the burn notice alone and move on. If only I'd listened to you, I could have saved us a lot of trouble. Maybe things would be different."

 _And Nate would still be here_ he thought to himself, but didn't voice it.

She squeezed his arm gently. "We can't do anything about that now, Michael. I understand why you couldn't let go of it back then. And in some crazy way, I think everything happened for a reason. The main thing is that we're here now." She said soothingly.

He nodded, taking in her words but still going over it all in his mind.

"Your mom's getting back from Vegas today." Fi reminded him, changing the subject. "Didn't you tell her you'd pick her up from the airport?"

Michael sighed. "Yeah, I did. I completely forgot after everything that happened yesterday."

"Well, we'd better get ready soon then. We can take something for lunch with us for when we take her home." She suggested.

He sighed again. "Okay, I guess we'd better get going." He said, relaxing back onto the mattress, pulling Fi with him to rest against his chest.

She laughed. "This doesn't look like getting up, Michael."

"Five more minutes." He mumbled into her hair.

"Okay, five more minutes." She conceded, settling against him and letting her eyes fall closed again.

/

"Hi, Mom." Michael greeted Madeline as she walked up to Fiona's car. His mother smiled at him fondly, giving him a quick hug and handing off her luggage to him. He went to the back of the car to place it in the trunk before returning to the driver's seat. Fi hadn't been very cooperative when he'd insisted on driving, but he'd put his foot down as he'd reminded her of what she'd gone through not even twenty-four hours ago.

"Hi, Madeline." Fiona smiled as the older woman climbed into the backseat.

"Hi, Fi." She returned the greeting. Her brow furrowed in concern as she caught sight of Fi's bandaged left arm that rested against the centre console. "Honey, what happened?" She was used to seeing her son with stitches or bruises, but Fiona was generally more careful with such injuries, believe it or not.

Fi's eyes dropped to her arm, as if she'd forgotten the bandage was in fact there. "Oh, um, don't worry, Madeline, it's nothing."

"Michael," Madeline demanded as soon as her son settled himself into the driver's seat. "What happened to Fiona's arm?"

Michael sighed. "It's a long story, Mom."

"We've got time now, Michael." Madeline leaned back in her seat, showing that she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Michael sighed again. Fi reached over to rest her hand on his thigh reassuringly. She knew he was still feeling guilty about her altercation with Gamble, even though she had assured him that she didn't blame him in any way.

"We had a busy day yesterday." She told Madeline, as a way to start their story.

/

"So, how are Ruth and Charlie?" Fiona asked, as the three of them sat at the dining room table in Madeline's house, their lunch in front of them.

Madeline smiled at the mention of her grandson. "Charlie's great, he's grown up so much since you saw him last. He's talking, and he has his own little personality. It's really sweet."

"And Ruth?" Fiona pressed.

Madeline sighed, her expression changing immediately. "Ruth, she's not doing so well. She's still not coping with Nate's death."

A sombre feeling draped itself across the three of them. Michael's chest tightened at the mention of his brother. He still preferred not to think or talk about Nate, for the guilt he felt at the circumstances surrounding his brother's death still affected him. In true Michael Westen fashion, he pushed it down and went on with life, but his discussion with Fi that morning about his decisions in life were still making him think about how Nate could still be with them if he'd done things differently.

"How so?" He asked quietly.

Madeline turned to her son. "She's turned to drinking, and she's really got a problem. She moved back in with her mother so she'd have some help with Charlie, but her poor mother has her hands full with the two of them. It's taking a toll on all of them."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Fiona asked softly.

"Well, I actually have some news about Charlie. It's getting too much for Ruth's mother to take care of both of them, and she doesn't like Charlie being exposed to what's going on. He's getting older now, so he's picking up on things. Ruth's mother really needs to focus on getting her some help, and she and I agreed it would be better for Charlie to be away from it all. So Charlie's coming to stay here with me for awhile."

Michael stared at his mother, a shock filled expression on his face. "What? For how long?"

"Well, we're not quite sure yet." Madeline answered. "At the moment, it's for a few months. She'll keep in touch with me about how Ruth is doing after awhile and we can see what happens, then decide what would be best for Charlie."

Michael sat in silence, staring at the wall. Fiona could see that her boyfriend was digesting the news, and a quick look to Madeline confirmed that she saw it as well.

The older woman rose from her chair. "I'm going to go outside for cigarette. I've been trying to cut back now that Charlie's coming, and I don't want the house to fill up with the smell."

Fiona watched in total surprise as Madeline left to smoke, but Michael's eyes were still blank as he stared at the wall. She wasn't even sure he'd heard his mother leave.

She stood from her chair and made her way over to Michael, sitting beside him. She reached a hand out to rub at the back of his neck.

"Michael, what are you thinking?" She could so often tell what he was feeling, but his expression was so blank that she had no idea what was going on inside his head.

He blinked a few times and swallowed uncomfortably before answering her. "I don't even know. I … I think it's even more important that I leave the Agency now."

"What do you mean?" She asked softly.

Michael turned to face her, his eyes filled with a clearly anxious look. "I have to get out. I can't let them affect a child's life the way they did mine, the way they did to Nate's."

Her heart clenched at the pain in his eyes. There was that guilt he still felt over Nate, and his typical attitude of playing the white knight. For once though, she completely understood his reasons for doing so.

"Are you going to tell your mother?" She asked.

Michael shook his head. "Not yet. I'll wait until I know more before I fill her in. It'll be easier."

"Okay." Fi murmured, bringing a hand up to stroke his jaw gently. "Whatever you want."

He locked his eyes on hers, silently thanking her for giving him strength when he felt as if he had none. They didn't need words to tell each other how they were feeling. Her eyes showed that she understood.

They were broken out of their reverie by the sound of Madeline coming back inside. Sure enough, her cigarette gone, she joined them back at the table.

"So when is Charlie coming?" Fiona asked, still holding Michael's hand in hers.

"At the end of the week." Madeline answered. "Which gives me just enough time to get things together so he's got a room, and toys, and everything else."

"Whatever you need, Mom, we can help." Michael offered quietly, but sincerely.

His mother smiled at him. "Thank you honey. I know you've both got a lot going on, and I know you still have work to deal with Michael, but I'd really like you to be a part of his life as much as you're able to be. I want him to know his aunt and uncle."

Michael nodded slowly, the prospect dawning on him. He wasn't entirely comfortable around children, but he felt a strong responsibility for Charlie, even though he hadn't seen him in a couple of years. The thought was terrifying, but he knew Charlie deserved to know his family.

"Of course, Madeline." He heard Fiona answer for them.

"Great. Michael, can you help me clean out the spare room tomorrow? I need to do that before I can start doing anything else."

"Sure, Mom."

 _This will be interesting_ he thought to himself.

/

A few days later, Michael made his way into an office building for his meeting with the Agency. His latest promise to Fiona repeated itself through his mind as he made his way into the interview room.

"Westen." Agent Strong said in greeting. "How's Miss Glenanne?"

Michael nodded. "She's alright. She's tough."

"Glad to hear it. I hope I gave you enough days off to deal with the aftermath of that situation, but I needed to speak with you today, which is why I've called you in for this meeting."

"Actually, I needed to speak with you as well." Michael cut in. "And I'd appreciate it if I could go first."

Strong waved a hand, gesturing that Michael was able to do so.

"I want out." He said bluntly.

Strong stared at the younger man. "I'm sorry, I have to assume I misheard you, or that you're joking."

"It's no joke, Strong. I'm done." Michael said with a shake of his head. "I've given my entire career to this company, and I don't want to do it anymore. I know you have a contract from me, but there was no discussion about how long that contract would be in place for. We need to have that discussion, and after all the Agency has done to me in the last few years, I don't think you have much of a leg to stand on."

"Now wait just a minute, Westen, let's not forget all the things that you did as well –"

"You think I can forget about it?" Michael said incredulously. "I have done some truly terrible things in the last few years, and they may have been my decisions, but they were decisions I had to make as a result of what this company did."

"Just stop, you –" Strong tried to speak, but Michael ploughed on through.

"This Agency refused to believe that I was innocent, cut me off and threw me out like yesterday's trash. They got my brother killed, used my friends and family against me, and almost cost me everything that is important to me! I still haven't been given access to my bank accounts, even after six years!"

"Michael, I can see how upset you are." Strong held his hands up, trying to calm the irate operative. "You have valid reasons to be, but I feel that your anger may be clouding your judgement."

"No, Strong, I'm finally seeing everything for how it is for the first time in my life." Michael answered honestly.

"Alright. How about this, we won't talk about this anymore for today. I will have your accounts unfrozen, as that should have been done already. We'll hold off on a new mission for you for a bit longer while I talk to some of the higher ups, and we can have another meeting to discuss this in a few days. You can take this time to really think through what you're doing, so I can know that you're really serious about this."

Michael glared at the older agent, but nodded reluctantly. He should have expected that his issue wouldn't be solved straight away. At least he was finally going to have access to his bank accounts.

"Okay." He said simply.

"But I have to warn you Westen," Strong cautioned him. "This may not be possible. I'm not sure how the guys upstairs are going to react to this."

Michael leaned forward in his chair, a look of complete seriousness covering his face. "You tell them that I will not take no for an answer. I want out, and I deserve to have my life back. And if they won't do that, then they should remember just how dangerous I can be. You should all know that. Take that as a warning."

/

"Hey, Fi." Michael greeted his girlfriend as he made his way into his mother's house. He had come straight from his meeting to be there for when Charlie arrived.

She smiled as he pressed a kiss to her temple in greeting. "Hey. How did your meeting go?" She asked quietly, making sure that Madeline couldn't hear them from the next room.

He nodded. "We haven't quite reached an understanding yet, but it's a start. I've got another meeting scheduled in a couple of days."

Fi nodded at his words, but he could see the hesitation that still clouded her eyes.

"Hey." He said, pulling her focus back to him. "I will make it happen, Fi. It might take a little longer, but I won't take no for an answer."

She gave him a small smile and nodded again. "Okay."

A knock at the front door broke them out of their moment, and Madeline rushed out from the bedroom to open it.

"Grandma!"

"Charlie!" Madeline opened her arms to hug her grandson, who threw himself into her grasp. An older woman stood behind him, who Michael assumed to be Ruth's mother. Madeline ushered her inside, gesturing with her head for Michael to take the bags on the doorstep. He obliged silently, placing them into the living room.

"Charlie, I want you to meet some people." Madeline said with a tender voice that Michael had heard on only a few occasions in the last few years. "This is your Uncle Michael, and Auntie Fi. You haven't seen them since you were a very little boy."

Fiona knew Michael was hovering, unsure of how to handle the situation with a child he hadn't seen in years, so she stepped forward, and placed a hand on Charlie's back.

"Hi, Charlie." She smiled warmly at the young boy. "I'm so excited to see you again."

Michael watched in surprise, unable to remember the last time he saw Fi acting this way.

"And this is your Uncle Michael. He missed you too." Fi waved him over to them, knowing that she needed to give him a push.

Michael moved forward slowly, and has to stop himself from reacting too visibly. This child, his nephew, looked just like Nate had at that age. It was enough to knock the air right out of him.

"Hi, Charlie." He managed to say, trying to force himself to relax.

"Hi." Charlie answered in his high pitched voice. "Will you play trains with me Unca Michael?"

Michael glanced at Fiona, who nodded at him reassuringly.

He turned back to his nephew. "Sure, Charlie."

The young boy gasped in excitement and wiggled himself out of Madeline's grasp. He grabbed his uncle's hand instantly, pulling him over to where his backpack was, and plopping himself down on the floor. Michael joined him slowly, helping him take the toy trains out of his bag.

He might have felt completely out of his element, but he knew what he had to do, and that was to get to know his nephew, just like Nate would have wanted.


	11. Chapter 11

_Hi guys! I know this chapter has taken much longer than usual, thank you for being really patient. This is officially the longest chapter I've written, so I hope that makes up for how long it took. Life is super hectic at the moment, but I have a two week break from work where I'm hoping to finish writing the rest of the story so I will be ahead again. Thank you so much for 100 reviews on this story! I've never published a story of this length before, so to have that many reviews is just amazing to me, and I really appreciate it!_

 _As you have probably figured out by now, Sonya, Carlos and James will not be making an appearance in this story. In this version of the show, Michael has already had some big revelations about his life and career a lot earlier and without them, so their presence isn't needed. The challenge for me has been keeping Michael in character, while showing that he has progressed a lot faster and easier than he did in the actual season 7. It's probably not that realistic, but fanfiction exists to make us feel better about these things, right? It's also been challenging for me to write the small case/CIA elements of the story, as they're not my strong points. I understand the relationships of the show well, particularly Michael and Fi's, which is what I tend to focus on. However, the CIA element of this point of the show obviously couldn't be ignored. This chapter does a lot in terms of moving that part of the story forward, and was probably the hardest thing for me to write. I hope you find it satisfying. I've been trying to make it realistic, but a lot simpler than the show, because I because I didn't appreciate all of the angst and drama that Michael and everyone was put through. So, I hope you enjoy this chapter! A familiar face also pops up! Please continuing reviewing, I really appreciate it. Here ends my ridiculously long author's note haha._

Chapter Eleven:

Michael and Sam sat at Carlito's with their drinks in front of them, having not seen each other for quite a few days. After the incident with Gamble, Michael and Fi had taken some time for themselves, and since then he'd been busy helping his mom settle in to having Charlie around. The best friends had decided to meet while Fi was out with Madeline, for Michael still didn't have a plan regarding his impending meeting with Agent Strong. To say he was worried was an understatement.

"I still can't believe you flat out told Strong that you wanted out." Sam said incredulously. He would have laughed, had the situation not been so serious.

Michael shrugged his shoulders in response. "I've had enough of their games and deception. I figured if there was ever a time to lay it all out on the table, this is it. At least Strong didn't laugh me out of his office."

"True," Sam conceded. "But I've gotta ask what your backup plan here is Mikey? Because I don't believe they'll just let you go that easily, and I'd rather not spend the rest of my life in a CIA hellhole. Sammy's grown accustomed to a certain standard of living."

"I am not letting any of us go to prison." Michael said firmly. "If they don't give me a date for the end of my contract with a promise of getting out, I'll come up with something else. I've still got time."

"Any ideas?" Sam asked.

"Well, I've thought of leaving Miami again, but I'm not too keen on the prospect of spending the rest of our lives on the run. I can't ask my mom to do that, now that she's got Charlie to consider."

Sam nodded in understanding. "Have you asked Fi for her opinion on this?"

Michael averted his eyes with a sigh. "No, I told her I'd take care of it."

"Why?" Sam asked in surprise. "She's great with crazy plans. And there's no way she wouldn't want to help, this is all she's ever wanted for you two."

"Exactly." Michael replied, fixing Sam with such a serious stare. "This is everything she wants, and I can't disappoint her again. I have to make sure I can do this, preferably without us ending up in prison, or her on a cargo ship back to Ireland."

"I get it Mike," Sam held his hands up in defence. "You guys have been through a lot lately, and you both want this to happen. But it affects her just as much as you, so don't you think you should ask her for help? She's never let you down before, and I'm sure she won't object to some crazy plan involving firearms and explosives."

Michael chuckled shortly, staring down at the table. After a moment, he raised his eyes back to Sam.

"I've been thinking about asking her to marry me."

The ex-SEAL simply stared at him, his mouth hanging open slightly.

"Who are you, and what have you done with Michael Westen?"

Michael rolled his eyes. "Come on, Sam."

"No, brother, I'm serious. I mean, I know you love her, but I never thought I'd actually hear you mention marriage." Sam replied honestly.

"A lot of things have happened this year, Sam. She's been there for all of it, and I want to show her I'm serious about us. No matter how many times I tell her, I can still see that small hint of doubt she has." He sighed.

Sam blew a breath out through his lips, still shocked by what he was hearing. "Well, have you decided how you're going to do it?"

Michael shook his head. "I want to get everything squared away with the Agency first, so I know where I stand with them before I make a decision."

Sam nodded. "Fair enough. Though I still think we should all work on a backup plan, Fi included, in case Strong doesn't tell you what you want to hear. After everything we've seen the CIA do, we can't be too careful."

"You're right about that." Michael agreed.

They each took a sip of their drinks, before Michael focused on Sam once more.

"I just have one other thing to ask you, Sam."

Sam raised his eyebrows in surprise, having no idea about what else Michael could possibly be about to say.

Michael opened his mouth to begin his sentence, but immediately snapped it shut, raising a hand to wave at Fiona who was walking up to their table. She patted Sam's shoulder affectionately as she passed him, kissing Michael's cheek before seating herself between the two men.

"What have you two been talking about?" She asked.

"Nothing." Michael answered quickly; ignoring the confused look she shot him. "How was shopping with my mom?"

Fi laughed, Michael's avoidance of her question forgotten. "Let's just say that shopping is much more difficult when you have a three year old with you."

Sam snorted in laugher, imagining Fi and Maddie shopping with Charlie in tow.

"Bet that was fun." He said.

"It wasn't too bad." Fiona shrugged. She looked across the table at the empty seat. "Wasn't Jesse supposed to be meeting you guys?"

"Yeah, he got caught up at work, so he's running late." Michael explained. "He should be here soon."

As if he knew that his friends were talking about him, Jesse emerged from around the corner. Greeting them all, he fell into the only remaining seat.

"Nice of you to join us." Sam joked.

"Yeah, sorry guys. I just had some things to finish up. So, what are we talking about?"

Michael and Sam's eyes connected briefly, going back to choose a topic that didn't involve Michael's idea of proposing to Fi.

"We were just talking about Mike's meeting with the CIA." Sam told him.

"Right." Jesse eyebrows rose. "When is that again?"

"Day after tomorrow." Fiona volunteered. She had been anxiously awaiting the day, unsure of how the meeting would go. She refused to get her hopes up too high until she knew for sure what was going to happen. She was made even more nervous by the fact that Michael hadn't discussed it much with her. She could tell when he thought about it, since she knew him so well. She knew him so well that she knew he still hadn't figured out a plan, which was adding to her anxiety. Worst of all, she didn't have a plan herself. She could feel their chance at a life without the CIA disappearing by the minute.

"Do you have a plan?" Jesse asked.

Michael sighed. "Not yet."

"I still can't believe you didn't come up with a long winded, fool proof plan before you told Strong." Jesse said disbelievingly.

Michael sighed again. "Yeah, in hindsight, probably not the smartest move, but I'm just done with it all. I want to be done."

Fi reached across under the table to place a comforting hand on his thigh. He smiled at her in response. She understood what he was feeling.

"Hey, I get it, man." Jesse sympathised. "And actually, I think I have someone who might be able to help."

Michael stared at him, his expression full of curiousity. "What, like a client of yours?" He asked doubtfully.

"Not exactly." Jesse smiled. He raised his head and his face lit up at the sight of a person approaching. The rest of the team turned their heads to see who it was.

"Pearce?" Michael said in disbelief.

Dani Pearce smiled at the group. "Hello everyone."

Jesse rose to give her hug, shortly followed by Michael. Jesse pulled up a chair so she could sit next to him.

"Aren't you supposed to be in Mumbai?" Michael asked. He was happy to see his former Agency contact turned friend back in Miami, but very confused as to why she was there instead of halfway across the world.

Dani gave him a wry smile. "I'm here on personal business actually. I used my vacation time to fly out."

"You miss Miami that much?" Sam asked.

"Well, yes and no. I have another reason for being here, which is why I'm come to talk to you guys. Specifically you, Michael."

Michael leaned forward in his chair. "What about?"

Dani sighed. "Jesse and I have kept in contact the last few months, and he's filled me on what's been happening. I'm so sorry for everything you've all been through."

She looked around the table at each of them. They all nodded back at her in response. It had definitely been a rough few months.

"Anyway," she continued. "My work in Mumbai is … unfulfilling, to say the least. A lot of surveillance and paper work, very little action. It certainly doesn't require a great deal of brain power. So I have been doing a little bit of side work … digging into some other investigations."

Michael laughed at her comment, knowing he would be doing the exact same thing if he were in her position.

Dani cracked a smile before going on. "I stumbled upon something. Something serious. Jesse told me you want out of the Agency. I want out of Mumbai. I thought maybe we could take what I've found, and use it to put the pressure on Langley. Hopefully it can get us what we want."

Michael stared at her in shock, having not expected such a proposition.

"What is it is exactly that you've found?" Sam asked.

"There's a small group of CIA agents working under the table in Mumbai. They're running an illegal weapons trade, selling throughout Pakistan and Iran. At least, those are the ones I've been able to confirm, it's likely to be more than that. I was going to take it to someone to start looking into it, until I realised that this may be the ticket I need to get out."

"And what's your plan to deal with this in terms of the blackmail?" Fiona asked.

"I hadn't quite gotten that far." She admitted. "That's where you guys come in. I knew this was something that needed a touch of Michael Westen."

Michael didn't smile, for he was too busy running over the possibilities in his mind.

"I think the best plan is to take what you have to the higher ups, tell them our demands and that they need to sign off on what we want before we hand it all over. If they don't do what we want, we will take it to the FBI and the media, let them run with it and destroy the Agency." He stated.

Fiona's eyes twinkled at his words. "Hmm, that sounds like a nice idea."

"Maybe you can get Strong to drop whatever mission it is that he's had you working on, and focus all of his efforts on this case." Sam suggested.

"That could work." Michael agreed. He turned his attention back to Pearce. "Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

She nodded emphatically. "I'm positive, Michael. Hopefully this will all work out, and you'll be free."

The dark haired agent leaned forward to look into her eyes very seriously. "Thank you." He said sincerely.

She smiled at him, nodding her head.

Fiona's heart lightened slightly, even with her cautious nature. She reached across to Michael, resting her hand on his leg again. He turned his head to lock his gaze onto hers. This was what they had been waiting for. This was it.

/

Two days later, Michael and Pearce sat inside the government building in Miami, in front of Strong and two other agents.

"You can't be serious." Agent Strong exclaimed, once Michael had finished speaking.

The other two agents remained silent, allowing Strong to do the talking as they processed what Pearce and Westen had just told them.

"We're completely serious." Michael told him. "I want a signed contract confirming my discharge from the Agency, with all my medical benefits. I want written confirmation that none of my family or friends will go to prison or be held responsible for their previous actions. And I want to be left alone, and not be hounded by agents or the FBI for the rest of my life."

"And I want to be reassigned from Mumbai to Miami." Pearce interjected.

"If we don't get what we want, we will go to the FBI with this information, then release it to the media. This is one scandal the CIA won't be able to run from. And if that happens, I'd hate to have your job." Michael said.

"Westen, we already have a contract with you, that says you will complete this mission that you agreed to." Strong reminded him.

"Yes, a contract I was coerced into signing because you threatened my friends and family for their actions that were the direct result of this Agency's oversights. A contract that has not specified just how long I would be required to remain an agent. I have put up with the mistakes of this company for far too long, and I want out. You all know what I'm capable of. So if you'd like to save yourself from hell raining down, you'd better give us what we want."

Silence remained for a couple of minutes, before one of the silent agents spoke.

"Agent Pearce, we will start the paperwork for your transfer back to Miami. We'll be in touch within the next few days to finalise everything. You may leave us with Agent Westen now."

"No," Pearce protested. "This was about the both of us. If we don't both get what we want, there is no deal."

"Pearce," Michael said softly, gaining her attention. "It's okay."

She stared at him, and at the insistence on his face, nodded at the other agents and left the room.

"Westen," Agent Strong began. "This operation we've signed you to is important. It doesn't have a time limit on it because we're not sure how long it will take."

"That's not my problem, Strong. I've gone above and beyond for this company throughout my career. If I were you, I'd focus more on the Mumbai situation. You know that'll do much more for your career than whatever you had me doing will."

Strong fell silent, and Michael could tell that he was weighing his decision.

"Westen," the other agent spoke. "We've been discussing your mission, and we'd like to begin wrapping it up anyway. Now that we've been informed of this situation in Mumbai, we certainly need to focus on that. We understand your demands, but we need you to finish up the mission. It would only take one more trip, and a few weeks to do so. If you agree, we will give you the contracts and promises that you've asked for."

Michael stared at them. "I made my demands very clear and simple, and you counter argue?"

"Westen, it's just one last time." Strong pointed out. "Then you'd be done. Don't you want to see this through to the end? The old Michael Westen always would."

He stared at Strong. "People change. I also know that you guys don't, so how can I be sure you won't go back on your word?"

"Westen, we simply can't let this mission go. It's too important to walk out and leave ourselves in the wind like that. If you agree, we will sign all the necessary agreements before you leave today, so that you have our word. You will get everything you want, if you do this one last mission for us."

Michael took in a deep breath and sighed.

"Alright."

/

Fiona was sitting on the bed in their hotel room, flipping through a magazine when Michael arrived back after his meeting. Her head snapped up as soon as he entered the room, then she slid off the bed to come and stand in front of him.

"Well?" She asked hesitantly. All she wanted to hear was that it had worked, that it was finally over. She wanted to know if they were finally getting their happy ending after so many years.

Michael brought his hands to either side of her body, holding her arms.

"I have good news, but there is one condition."

Fi nodded slowly, willing herself to hear him out before reacting in any way.

"They agreed to my requests, but they want me to do one last mission before I leave. It's to finish up the work I've been doing, and when I get back they'll discharge me with my medical benefits and entitlements. I've already signed the contracts and made copies so they can't go back on their word."

Fi's eyes widened. "You really signed an agreement?"

Michael nodded slowly, a smile creeping onto his face.

"This is really happening?" Her voice dropped to a whisper in disbelief.

Michael nodded again, pulling her into his arms.

"I promise, Fi. It's almost over."

She ignored the small nagging voice in the back of her mind that reminded her he'd broken so many promises before. She wrapped her arms around his strong back, pushing the thoughts away.

 _It's different this time. It's really happening._

/

The next day, they sat in the Charger together, heading towards an undisclosed location.

"Michael, where are we going?" Fiona whined. Her boyfriend had woken her up from a deep sleep, cajoled her into getting dressed, and was now driving them someplace, but she had no idea where, for he refused to say.

"I've got a surprise for you." Michael smiled, a slight twinkle in his eyes.

Fi looked at him in confusion, not sure what he could possibly be talking about. "What is it?"

"Nope." He smiled even bigger. "You have to come with me."

Michael parked the Charger and climbed out, heading over to Fi's door to open it for her. She looked at him, still confused but allowed his hand to help her out of the car.

He led her across the street, stopping in front of a modestly sized house.

She looked at him expectantly, wondering if this was a new job. "What, Michael? I don't get it."

"What do you think of this house?" He asked.

She stared at him, confusion lining her eyes. "It's nice. Why?"

"I promised you the loft wouldn't be the last home we shared." He said simply.

She gaped at him for a moment, before turning back to the house before them.

"I mean, it doesn't have to be this one." Michael said hesitantly, unsure of her silence. "I just thought we should start looking, and I thought this one suited us. But we can live anywhere you want, Fi."

"Well, I guess we shouldn't live at Elsa's hotel forever." She said faintly, unable to believe what was happening. "Wait, how can we possibly afford this?"

He grinned at her. "That's the other part of the news. The CIA unfroze my accounts and assets after my meeting the other week, so we have access to everything now."

"What?" She gasped in disbelief.

He nodded. "I would have told you straight away, but I wanted it to be a surprise."

"It sure is." She nodded.

He laughed shortly. "So, are you okay with this?" He asked hesitantly.

She turned to him, a smile stretching across her face. "Yes, Michael." She stepped forward into him, wrapping her arms around his chest. "I just can't believe it."

"Did you want to go inside? I can call Sam's friend who told me about it." He offered.

She looked up at him and smirked. "Really, Michael? You think between the two of us we can't pick the lock?"

He laughed. "Of course not. Let's go then."

/

Later that night, Michael and Fi sat at the dining room in his mother's house, having dinner with her and Charlie.

"So, you guys really just bought a house?" Madeline asked incredulously.

Michael and Fi smiled at each other, nodding towards the older woman.

"Yeah, we did." Michael shrugged.

"Just like that?" She said in disbelief.

"I've regained access to my money, Mom," Michael explained. "Turns out you gain a lot of interest when you leave that much money sitting untouched for six years." He smiled wryly.

"We knew it was exactly what we want." Fi added. "We didn't see the point in wasting time looking at other places, when we loved this one."

"Well, what's it like?" Madeline asked eagerly.

"Three bedrooms, a big living room and kitchen, a pool." Fi told her.

"And a big garage for all of our … work stuff." Michael added.

"What's happening with your work, Michael? You haven't mentioned anything in the last few weeks. Do you have to go away again anytime soon?"

Michael looked at Fi for a second before turning back to his mother.

"Actually, Mom, that's the other news we have." He took in a breath. "I've decided to leave the CIA."

Madeline gaped at him for a moment, unsure of what she was hearing.

"Really, Michael?" She whispered.

He nodded. "It's time, Mom. A lot has happened in the last few years, and it's not what I want anymore."

His mother's eyes filled with tears, and she leaned forward to hug her son tightly.

"I'm so glad, baby." She whispered.

Michael patted his mother's back, knowing what this meant to her. He was finally going to leave the company that was responsible for the death of her youngest son, the company that had kept her eldest away for so many years. They were finally going to be done.

Fiona blinked away the tears that had formed in her own eyes as she witnessed the exchange in front of her.

"So when will you be finished?" Madeline asked.

"I just have one last mission, that could take between three to eight weeks." He explained. "And then I'll be finished for good."

Madeline nodded absently. She turned her gaze to Fiona, and could see the visible relief on the younger woman's face. It was really happening.

"Done!" Charlie cried, smacking a hand down on the table to signify that he was finished with his dinner.

The three adults jumped, having forgotten the young child's presence in the room throughout the serious conversation.

"Okay, Charlie." Madeline said, putting on her upbeat voice for the child. "Time for your bath."

"Don't worry Madeline, I can do it." Fi offered. "You stay and talk with Michael."

"Thank you, sweetheart." Madeline said gratefully.

Fi stood up from her chair, brushing her hand across Michael's back and she moved from her place beside him. She walked over to Charlie and pulled the toddler out of his booster seat, heading towards the bathroom.

"And what are you going to do about the house while you're gone for work?" Madeline asked her son once Fiona had left the room.

"Fi's decided to start looking for furniture and anything else we'll need, and I'll help with whatever else is left when I get back. It's much more her thing than it is mine anyway." Michael explained. "She's looking forward to decorating everything. I'm sure she'd love your help with some of it."

Madeline smiled. "Of course I will. Now, you make sure you're careful while you're away, you hear me? I know you don't need it, but I worry when you're gone. I know Fi does too."

Michael nodded. "I know, Mom. I'll do my best. And I have a favour to ask while I'm gone."

He reached inside of his suit jacket to pull something from the interior pocket, placing it down on the table in front of his mother.

Madeline gaped at the sight of the ring box.

"Michael." She whispered in shock. She picked up the box to carefully open it. Inside sat a delicate square diamond ring, glittering in the light of the room.

Madeline lifted her eyes back to her son, filled with anticipation. "Does this mean …"

Michael nodded. "Could you mind it for me while I'm gone? With the move and everything going on, I can't leave it anywhere in case Fi finds it, which you know she would."

Madeline nodded, a smile overtaking her face. She put the box down on the table and leaned forwards to hug him.

"Sweetheart, this is so exciting! I can't believe this is finally going to happen."

Michael smiled, and returned his mother's hug.

"Thanks, Mom." He whispered.

"I'll make sure to take care of it." She promised. "Fi will never find it. And now you have another reason to come home safely."

Michael nodded thoughtfully. "I know. I'll be fine, Mom."

Madeline smiled at him, patting his hand with her own. "I know."

/

Michael stood in front of Fi with a packed bag, just as he had only a couple of weeks ago. They stared at each other for a few long moments, before Michael pulled her into his arms. Words just weren't enough.

"Just one more mission." Fi whispered against his chest.

He tightened his arms around her. "I know."

She closed her eyes and allowed herself a few moments of peace, before pulling away from him reluctantly. She had to let him go before she stopped him from leaving without her. She never liked him going off without backup that wasn't her, Sam or Jesse, but she didn't have a choice this time around. She just prayed it would in fact be the last time.

Michael didn't say a word as he looked down at her. He understood exactly what she was thinking.

 _Please be safe_ , her eyes begged. _Come back to me._

He was suddenly taken back to the numerous times he'd left her, voluntarily or otherwise. All those times she'd stood by him and never left. She deserved so much better, yet she always chose him. He'd now chosen her, and it would be official as soon as he got home. He had to come home to her.

 _I will, Fi_. His eyes answered her unspoken pleas.

"I'll call when I can." He promised.

She nodded, knowing he wouldn't have much of a chance, but the fact that he would try was comforting.

She reached up to capture his face with her hands, pulling his lips down to hers to lock him against her in a passionate kiss.

"I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too, Fi." His eyes were bright and sincere.

He grasped her hand one last time and kissed her cheek, before picking his bag up and making his way to the door. He turned back to face her.

"I'll see you soon."

Fi gave him a small smile. "See you soon."

With a final smile, he turned and left, the door closing softly behind him.

Fi fell to the bed, closing her eyes and whispering prayers to herself. Despite her Catholic upbringing, she wasn't particularly religious, but she prayed to whatever higher power might be listening.

 _Please come back safely._


	12. Chapter 12

_Hey guys! So this chapter took way longer than usual, sorry. My reason is plain old writer's block. I wrote the first half of this chapter in one quick go, but then sat on the second half for over a week. It's a long chapter too, so I considered cutting it, but the second half is important, and I wanted to make sure I got it right. The most recent review I got made me laugh, and kicked my butt into gear to finish this. I hope you enjoy it, please review to let me know your thoughts! I appreciate the support, so thank you to those people who always review._

Chapter Twelve:

Fiona stood in the kitchen of her and Michael's new house, putting away the groceries she had just brought home. She sighed heavily as her eyes caught sight of the framed picture of the two of them hanging on the wall. It was her favourite photo of them, the one that Madeline had brought her while she'd been in prison, which she'd clung so desperately to. She'd discovered another copy of it with Michael's things while she'd been unpacking a few weeks earlier, along with a number of other photos of them, and some old shots of her that were clearly from his surveillance of her during their days in Ireland. She'd been so surprised to find them that she'd almost burst into tears, which was quite extreme for someone who rarely cried at all.

He'd been gone for five weeks. There had been very little contact during that time, apart from an occasional message to reassure her that he was fine. She hadn't heard anything recently, and was quickly running out of ways to distract herself from imagining how he was and what he was doing.

Unpacking both her and Michael's things, plus arranging furniture and decorating the house had taken up most of the time that he had been gone. Sam and Jesse had both been around to help with the actual moving, and Madeline had been by a number of times, as well as going shopping with her to find items for the house. Now that most of the moving in and decorating had been completed, Fi was struggling to find ways to occupy herself. She wanted Michael to see what she had done with the place, and to spend nights curled up together in bed. The place was far too quiet with just her occupying the many rooms. When she'd lived alone she had relished the silence of her place. It had always been her private sanctuary, a place to escape from the reality of her work and relationship issues with Michael. Once she'd moved into the loft with him, she had treasured rare evenings alone, since the place was almost always filled with Sam and Jesse, or one of their various clients needing a place to stay. In addition, their new house was much larger than the loft or any of her places had been. The silence was deafening, and followed her around no matter where she went. Madeline had been bringing Charlie by to visit, as if she understood just how much Fi wanted the company. She appreciated the older woman's thoughtfulness, but also wished for the presence of a different Westen.

Sighing to herself, she finished up with the shopping and set herself down at the table to clean a few of her guns. There was a strange feeling growing inside her, and she couldn't pinpoint what it was, so she directed her attention to her weaponry as a way to ignore it.

The front door, which was visible from her position at the table, opened and Sam made his way into the house, carrying a six-pack of beer.

"Hey, Fi." He said cheerily.

"Hey, Sam." She replied, giving him a small smile before returning her attention to the task at hand.

Sam deposited the drinks into the fridge before grabbing one and sitting across from her at the table.

"Still no word from Mike, huh?" He asked softly.

Fi shook her head without looking up at him.

"Hey," he said. "He'll be fine. He's Mike, after all."

Fiona looked up to give him a smile.

"I know. But it's been awhile. I used to be so much better at this, waiting for him to come back and not knowing where he was. I don't know why it's so much harder now."

"Probably because it's the last time?" Sam suggested. "But that's the great thing, Fi. It's almost over."

She sighed. "I know. I just wish it would hurry up. It's been weeks already."

Sam nodded sympathetically. He missed his best friend too, but he couldn't imagine how she must be feeling.

"Well, hey, I've got a meeting with a client if you want to come with? I could use your help."

She fixed him with a stare, knowing it was a ploy to distract her from thinking about Michael. He gave her that Sam Axe grin and she rolled her eyes in response. He was a good friend, and she'd never admit it, but she was glad she had him, especially when Michael was gone.

"Alright, we both know you need my assistance for whatever it is." She replied, grabbing her 45 and standing from her seat. She followed him out the door towards whatever job he'd found for them. She could go back to worrying about Michael later.

/

Over a week later, Fiona still hadn't heard from Michael. She and Sam had agreed it was time to start asking questions, so she'd reached out to Agent Pearce. Dani had resumed working in Miami, and had been spending quite a bit of time with Jesse. Fi was glad to see her younger friend so happy. And now she was pleased to have Dani around, who she could ask to find out information on Michael's mission. It was much more pleasant dealing with the other woman, rather than trying to get anything out of desk jockeys at the CIA.

She parked her car outside Madeline's house and headed in through the back. Sam had sent her a message an hour ago, asking her to meet him there, and she had no idea why. She hoped it was another job, for she definitely needed something else to focus on while she was waiting to hear about Michael.

Her brow furrowed in confusion when she entered the dining room and caught sight of Madeline, Sam, Jesse and Dani gathered around the table. Their eyes met hers as she entered, showing that they had been waiting for her.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Come here and sit with me, Fi." Madeline patted the seat beside her.

A sense of dread swept over her as she made her way to the older woman's side.

"Did you hear back about Michael?" She addressed Pearce as soon as she was seated.

Dani nodded. "That's why I asked Jesse to ask you all here. I wanted to let you know what I'd found out."

Fiona nodded slowly, her chest tightening in anticipation.

"So I heard back from some of the people I contacted over the last week. The head of the organisation that Michael has been trying to bring down captured him, and held him hostage for a week."

Fiona heard Madeline's small gasp beside her, and gripped the other woman's hand under the table.

Dani continued. "They'd been getting suspicious about who he said he was, and they decided to torture him for answers. The team that was sent in to find him once they'd lost contact managed to get him out, but he was held there for about a week. I've spoken to Agent Strong and he's assured me that Michael is out of harm's way now."

"Where is he now then?" Fiona asked. Her voice sounded foreign to her own ears.

"They wouldn't give me a specific location," Dani said regretfully. "But they've sworn to me that he's out of the immediate area, and he's being treated for injuries before they wrap things up and bring him home."

"Do we know what kind of injuries he has?" Sam asked. His concern for his best friend was clear in his tone of voice.

"They told me he has several broken ribs, a fractured wrist, other smaller injuries, and was treated for dehydration and substances."

Fiona closed her eyes, taking all of the information in.

"When will he be home?" She asked, once she'd found her voice and the strength to reopen her eyes.

"They told me it would be sometime this week. I've given Strong your number and made him swear to contact you as soon as he knows."

Fi nodded again. She reached across the table to place her hand over Pearce's arm. "Thank you, Dani, for finding all that out. Thank you."

The other woman nodded back at her, seeing the gratitude clearly in her eyes.

Fiona turned back to face Madeline, squeezing her hand again. He would be home soon. Everything would be okay then.

/

Fiona paced nervously near Madeline's front door. Strong had called her the night before to tell her that Michael was on his way home, and would be dropped off at his mother's house in the morning. Fi had stayed the night at Madeline's and awoken early, her senses having been on high alert all night and morning. She prayed that he was in fact coming home in one piece. Despite Strong assurances that Michael was fine, she was still hesitant. She certainly didn't trust the CIA's judgement, not after everything they had done.

The sound of the door creaking behind her caught her attention, and she whirled around, coming face to face with her boyfriend.

Her heart jumped in her throat as she looked upon him. There was a gash across his right eyebrow, a nasty looking bruise on his cheek, a bandage on his left wrist, and a slight limp in his walk. But he was there. He was hers, and he was right in front of her.

They made their way towards each other, drawn together like magnets. Suddenly, she was in his arms and everything was right with the world again.

"I'm here, Fi. I'm okay." He whispered into her hair as he felt her tears soaking his shirt.

She gripped at him cautiously, unsure of what other injuries he could have. Finding the strength to lift her head, she stared into his clear blue eyes, her hand rising to brush against his jaw, her thumb drifting over his lips.

"You're here." She whispered, her eyes filling with tears again.

"I'm here." He confirmed, leaning down to press a kiss to her lips. He breathed her in, memorising every ounce of her, committing every detail to memory, even though there was no way he could have ever forgotten. She was all he had dreamed about for weeks.

"Are you okay?" She asked softly, her hands coming up to cup his face between her palms gently, being mindful of the bruise on one side.

He turned his head to kiss one palm. "I'm fine, Fi. I promise."

She nodded wordlessly, taking stock of every inch of him. She leaned forward again to hook her arms over his shoulders, burying her nose into the crook of his neck.

"Thank you for coming home to me." She whispered.

"I promised you I would." He murmured into her hair.

They stood like that, locked together in the middle of the entryway until Madeline entering the room interrupted them.

"Oh, Michael!" Tears filled her eyes at the sight of her son, home safely.

Michael smiled at her as Fi unlatched herself from him. "Hi, Mom." He hugged her and coughed out loud as she squeezed him a little too hard. "Mom, watch the ribs."

"Sorry! I forgot." She grimaced for him.

He waved her concern off. "It's okay, they're not that bad." He turned to address Fi as he said it, noticing the way she was staring at him, trying to examine every single detail about him and discover all of his injuries. He just wanted to wait for a while before telling her the whole story.

"Well come, sit down." Madeline urged. "You must be exhausted. Do you need anything? Food, coffee, water?"

He smiled at her excessive fussing. Give it a few hours and it'd be annoying, but right now it was touching.

"I'm fine." He promised, seating himself at the table beside Fi, reaching across to drape his arm around her back, pulling her close to him.

Madeline ignored his answer and headed into the kitchen, rambling away as she went about getting him a drink. Michael took the chance to focus his attention back on Fiona, who had fallen silent the last few minutes.

"I missed you." He murmured into her ear.

He felt a small shudder run through her body as his words. She turned to press her lips against his cheek.

"I missed you too." She whispered against his skin.

He squeezed her shoulder, turning back to his mother who had reapproached them, still talking endlessly.

"And Charlie's at preschool at the moment, but he'll be so excited to see you. He asked about you while you were gone." She rambled.

Michael smiled. Now that he was home for good, he would have the chance to really get to know his nephew, as intimidating as the thought was.

"Oh, I'm just so glad you're home, Michael. We should have a dinner! All of us; Sam, Jesse, and he can bring Agent Pearce too. She's been so wonderful to us."

Michael turned to Fi with a raised eyebrow, but she just smiled at him. Her eyes promised she'd explain everything later.

"Sounds great, Mom. Maybe in a couple of days?" Michael suggested. All he wanted to go was have some time alone with Fi, and then sleep for about three days straight.

"Of course, sweetheart, whenever you're up to it."

Michael smiled at his mother, thankful that she seemed to understand.

"So, is it really over, Michael?" she continued hesitantly, looking at her son. "Are you home for good?"

Michael nodded. "I just have to go into the office next week to sign the last few bits of paperwork, and pick up a few things. Then it'll all be official."

Michael felt the tightness in Fi's shoulders leave at his words.

"That's wonderful news. I'm so glad you're alright. Now, I have to go and pick Charlie up soon, and you look like you need a rest, Michael." Madeline suggested. "I'm sure Fiona is dying to show you the house."

Fi smiled and nodded beside him. He had almost forgotten about their new place that she'd been living in while he was gone. Suddenly, he couldn't wait to leave his mother's house.

With a promise to come back for dinner the next night, he and Fi headed out, climbing into the Charger, and driving towards their new home.

/

Michael followed Fiona into the house, stopping just inside the hallway to take it all in. The place was elegantly decorated, evidence of Fiona's tastes. He smiled fondly when he noticed the bookshelf that held the snow globe he'd given her a few months ago, as well as a few others that she'd bought for herself to restart her collection. It reminded him of the one he had in his bag, that he'd brought home for her from his trip.

"Welcome home, Michael." She said softly.

He turned to face her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"It looks great, Fi. I'm sorry I left you to do it all by yourself."

"It's okay." She shrugged off his apology. "It gave me something to do while you were away. Plus, Sam and Jesse pitched in, as did your mom."

He nodded silently, looking around the room once again. He already felt comfortable there with her, and felt confident that it would soon feel like the loft had. Hopefully there would be fewer explosions and dead bodies in this place.

He turned back to her, raising a hand to brush it across her cheekbone and down her jaw. Her eyes closed at his tender ministrations, still finding it hard to believe that he was really there with her.

"I missed you so much." She breathed, ignoring the tears that were welling behind her eyelids.

He brought his forehead down to hers. "I missed you too." He murmured. "But it's okay now."

He moved a few inches closer to connect his lips to hers, breathing her in and wrapping her up against him. Their kisses intensified as Michael gripped at her tighter and pulled her closer. She gave in to his advances willingly, wanting nothing more than to feel his skin against hers.

Suddenly remembering his injuries, she pulled away from him with a gentle hand on his chest.

"Michael, are you sure?" She asked in concern. "I don't want to hurt you." She hadn't missed just how slowly he'd followed her into the house.

"I'll be fine, Fi. Just don't throw me to the ground and jump on me this time." He smirked; remembering the time he'd come home from a trip with Max and she'd basically attacked him with her enthusiasm.

She smirked right back, remembering it as well as he did. "Don't worry, I promise to be careful." She murmured.

She carefully brought his face back down to hers, locking their lips together once more. He wrapped his arms around her small frame, pulling her even closer to him. She took his hand and led him towards their new bedroom.

Later on, they laid entangled beneath the sheets, Fi resting her head beside his shoulder, rather than on it. Her hand was gently tracing the planes of his chest, trying to soothe away the bruises that she could see. She'd been too distracted during their previous activities to notice all of his injuries, but she was now cataloguing them, silently wondering where they'd each come from.

Michael could practically hear her thoughts as well as if she'd said them out loud. He knew her, and understood her silent need to hear the entire story.

"It was just supposed to be a meeting." He explained. "I was fitting in well with the organisation, my cover was solid, then all of a sudden they were very suspicious of who I claimed to be. I don't know how it happened, but when I went to meet the head of their organisation, he knew I wasn't who I said I was. I thought it was going to be an interview to officially join them, but they ended up detaining me. They drugged me, used sleep deprivation and a few other techniques, then they questioned me over and over again. Eventually Strong realised I was missing and assumed what had happened, so he sent a team in to find me."

"Well, thank God he did." Fiona said softly. "Did they get everything they needed to close the mission?"

"Yeah, they had all their intel ready, plus the information I gathered, plus what they got from the compound when they got me out. They assured me that all of that together would be enough."

"Good." She murmured. "I can stop worrying now."

Michael grabbed her hand that was still ghosting over his bruises, holding it gently in his own. "Yes, Fi. You don't have to worry anymore." He reassured her. He hated thinking of how much pain and worry he'd caused her in the last few weeks.

"It's a little hard to convince myself of that when you look like this." She nodded her head towards his battered body. She pushed herself up on her elbows to get a better look.

The bruises on his chest were visible, along with a substantial cut on his side that had been stitched up. She had avoided placing pressure on his chest due to his healing ribs. She moved further down his body to continue her inspection for injuries she had missed while they had been otherwise occupied. She stopped at the sight of his leg, which held evidence of a small bullet wound that was slowly healing. She brushed her hands around the area gently, as if she could cure him with her touch.

Michael watched as she regarded him so carefully, so different from her usual fiery temperament. He was suddenly struck by the sight of her beauty with her hair falling over her face, obstructing her expression of concern and love that was so clearly displayed on her face.

"I saw you. When they had me."

She turned her head and lifted her eyes back to his. "Yeah?"

He nodded. "It had been a few days, and they'd done so many things to me. I was so exhausted, but I knew I was hallucinating. Then you walked in, and even though I knew it wasn't real, I was so convinced you were there. You knelt in front of me and you told me I could do it, that it was almost over. And you smiled at me, and told me to be strong just a little bit longer. Then they came and got me again for more questions, and I managed to take a guard down and turn their guns on them. After that the agents came in and took over."

She moved back up his body and pressed a kiss to his jaw, letting her lips linger over him.

"You're so strong, Michael." She whispered. "You did it, and you're home now."

"It's because of you, Fi." He locked his eyes on her, brushing her hair away from her face. "I knew I had you to come back to."

She carefully draped her arms over him. "I'm so glad you did." She whispered into his shoulder.

With her arms around his and his warm body against hers, they both slept better than they had in weeks.

/

"Mike!" The booming baritone of Sam Axe filled Michael's ears as he and Fiona entered his mother's house.

"Hey, Sam." He couldn't help but grin at his best friend's antics.

The older man came forward to lock him in a hug, tighter than usual. Fiona watched their interaction with a barely contained smile.

"Good to have you home, brother." Sam said simply.

Michael nodded his thanks, trying to swallow the emotion that was creeping up his throat.

Sam clapped him on the shoulder and led them further into the house, out into the backyard, where Madeline was talking with Jesse and Dani Pearce. Michael came forward to greet them both, noticing the smile on Jesse's face when he turned his attention to Dani. Fiona had filled him in on the details of Jesse and Dani's relationship while he'd been gone, and it was nice to see the youngest member of their team so happy.

"Sam, where's Elsa?" Madeline called to him at the barbeque.

"She sends her apologies Maddie, but she got caught up with an issue at work." He told her regretfully. "She said she'll try to stop by later if she can."

"Hey, where's Charlie?" Fiona asked curiously, having become used to the noisy energy of the youngest Westen that was now in their life.

As if he knew she was talking about him, Charlie came bounding out from the house towards the group of adults.

"Auntie Fi!" He cried. "Look what Grandma got me!" He held up a toy train for her approval.

Fiona knelt down to the child's height. "Wow, Charlie, that's a really nice train you have." She spoke to him enthusiastically. "That was nice of Grandma, wasn't it?"

The little boy nodded emphatically, before rushing forward to hug her in greeting.

Michael watched Fi with his nephew with curious eyes. While she'd always been protective of children in the cases that they worked, he had never seen her so at ease with a child before.

Fi picked Charlie up and brought him over to the rest of the group.

"Look, Charlie, Uncle Michael is home from his work trip." She pointed out. "Do you want to say hi?"

"Hi!" Charlie turned to his uncle, smiling brightly. His happy expression turned to confusion as he pointed at the healing bruise on Michael's face. "Why do you have an owie?"

Michael's eyes widened in apprehension, but Fiona nodded at him slowly, telling him to stay calm.

He breathed slowly and turned back to his nephew. "I had an accident at work Charlie, but it's almost all better now, so you don't need to worry. Okay?"

"Okay!" Charlie wiggled out of Fiona's hold, and ran over to stand right beside his uncle, clutching at one of Michael's legs. "Can I show you my new trains?"

Michael smiled. "Sure, Charlie."

He allowed his nephew to take his hand and pull him into the house towards the toys. Fiona and Madeline watched with barely contained joy at the sight of Michael getting to know Charlie better, just as Nate would have wanted.

Later, after they had finished dinner and Charlie had been put to bed, the six of them sat around Madeline's dining room table.

"Since we're all here together," Jesse started. "I think we should have a toast to Mike here being home again." He raised his beer into the air. "To Mike."

The rest of the table's occupants toasted with him.

"Madeline," Dani interrupted. "I'm sorry to duck out, but I have to be at the office very early in the morning, so I'll need to head home."

"Yeah, and I'd better take her." Jesse stood with her.

"There's no need to apologise Dani, I'm glad you could make it." Madeline made her way over to the other woman to give her a hug goodbye, before moving onto Jesse.

"Thank you for having us." Dani thanked her. She and Jesse farewelled everyone before heading out.

Madeline sighed. "I'd better get all these leftovers put away."

"I'll give you a hand, Madeline." Fi offered, helping with the plates of unfinished food.

Sam waited until both women were in the kitchen and out of earshot.

"So, Mike, have you thought any more about, you know …" He gestured at his ring finger. "With Fi?"

Michael smiled. "Soon, Sam. I've got a plan."

The ex-SEAL grinned in excitement and slapped his buddy on the shoulder.

/

Michael smiled as he pulled his charger into the driveway of his new home. He sat and looked at the house for a moment before grabbing the papers sitting on the passenger seat and hurrying inside. He couldn't wait another minute to tell Fiona.

A week had passed since his return home to Miami and his injuries had continued healing. Early that morning he had gone into a meeting with Agent Strong, and was now returning home with his official discharge papers from the CIA.

"Fi?" He called as he entered the house.

His girlfriend popped out of their bedroom at the sound of his voice.

"Did you …" Her voice trailed off hesitantly.

Michael held up the stack of papers with a smile. "It's official."

Releasing the breath she had been holding in, Fiona made her way forward to stand in front of him. She reached her arms up to loop them around his neck, pulling his body close to hers.

"How do you feel?" She asked quietly.

He stared at her, not quite sure how to answer. "I don't know. It's definitely strange. But I'm not going to lie, I'm a little relieved." He smiled at Fi, trying to remove the uncertainty from her eyes.

She smiled back at him. "Well, I think this calls for a celebration." She declared, her expression becoming surer.

"You're right, it does." Michael nodded. "That's why we're going out tonight."

Fiona's smile grew. "Are we now?"

Michael nodded again. "I believe we are long overdue for a date."

Fi leaned forward to press a lingering kiss to his lips.

"I'd better go find a dress to wear then." She smirked as she sidled off to their bedroom to find something for their evening.

/

"This is beautiful, Michael." Fiona smiled, looking around The Forge. She'd been delighted when she realised where they were going to dinner.

Michael smiled back at her. "After we've cancelled so many dinners here due to my plans, I figured it was time to actually keep a reservation." He said wryly.

Fi just nodded in agreement with a raised eyebrow as she took a sip from her wine glass.

Michael took in her appearance as she sat across from him. She had chosen a deep red dress that reminded him of the one he had destroyed during their trip to Venezuela for a CIA mission, the one that she had been wearing in his hallucination during his last job. The uncertainty that had been present in her expression over the last few months was all but gone, leaving her looking happy and confident as she usually did. He hoped that after tonight, she would never look at him with uncertainty again.

"You look beautiful, Fi." He told her, his eyes soft in a way that they only were when focused on her.

Her eyes seemed to sparkle as a smile stretched across her lips. "You don't look so bad yourself, Michael."

The bruise on his face had healed well, and his other injuries were almost gone, leaving little evidence of how close she had come to losing him. Sitting across the table from him in a fancy restaurant took her back to another conversation in a restaurant years ago.

" _I still need back in." He said, unwilling to give up on his old job._

" _Michael, priorities change. People change." She told him._

" _I'm free of the people who burned me. I'm free of the cops. This is the moment I've been waiting for."_

" _This is the moment I've been waiting for too." She whispered, failing to stop a tear from rolling down her cheek._

"I still can't believe we're here." She confessed to him. They'd come so far from where they were when they'd arrived in Miami.

He nodded, understanding what she was feeling even without words. "Me either. It's been a long time coming."

"That it has." She agreed. "Are you sure that this is what you want?"

"I'm more sure than I've ever been, Fi." He assured her. He reached across the table to take her hand in his. "I know we've been through a lot these past few years, but I couldn't have done it without you."

She scoffed slightly. "Sure you could have, Michael. Although, you would be dead a few times over without my help."

"I'm serious, Fi." He gripped her hand tighter. "I know I put you through so much, and I still have no idea why you stayed all these years, but I'm glad you did."

She reached her other hand over to cover both of theirs on the table. "You know why, Michael." She fixed her eyes on his. "You know why I stayed."

He nodded. "Thank you." He said sincerely. "I don't tell you enough, but I'm lucky to have you, Fi." He lifted their joined hands to place a kiss on the side of hers.

She swallowed the emotion in her throat. They stared at each other for a long moment, hypnotised by each other. She finally broke eye contact, reaching for her wine glass and raising it slightly.

"Well, I think this calls for a toast." She said, her voice slightly raspy.

Michael joined her by raising his own glass.

"To new beginnings." She said softly.

"To new beginnings." He echoed with a smile as he connected his glass with hers.

/

"Michael, where are we going?" Fi laughed.

Michael turned off the main road into a car park, finding a spot and turning the charger off. He just had one more step to his plan for the night.

He turned to smile at her. "Come on, Fi."

He climbed out of the car, heading over to her side to open the passenger seat door for her. She smiled as he offered her his hand, and took it, allowing him to pull her out of her seat.

Their hands still entwined, Michael led her across the sand, towards the ocean. The full moon shone across the water, brightly illuminating it before their eyes.

Fiona smiled as she realised where he was taking her. He led them halfway between the water and the edge of the sand. The place where they had stood as life threatened to tear them apart, where they had sat together after reuniting. It was the spot where she had walked away from him, almost ending their relationship forever.

He turned to face her.

"Fi, I really meant it when I said I never could have done any of this without you." He told her. "When I was dumped in Miami all those years ago, you were the last person I expected to see. I certainly wasn't expecting you to stick around, but I'm glad you did. You were always the one who fought for us, even when I pushed you away. You always knew when I was about to go too far, when to pull me back, and when to go along with whatever the plan was, even if you didn't agree with me. You've been my biggest support Fi, the whole time with the burn notice, and especially the last few months while I've dealt with the CIA's crap. I'll never understand what I've done to deserve your love. Most people would've given up on me a long time ago."

"You know that's never going to happen, Michael." She reassured him, stepping closer into his body.

He smiled down at her. "I don't understand it, but I really am grateful for it. You've chosen me over and over again, so now I'm promising to always choose you. I'll never leave you again, Fi."

And with that, he stepped back slightly, pulled something from the inside pocket of his suit jacket, and dropped to one knee.

Fiona's mouth fell open in shock as she stared down at him.

"I might not be the best at saying it, Fi, but you are the best thing in my life. You are the person who knows me better than anyone in this world, and I never thought I could love someone the way I love you. I know I've made so many mistakes, but I promise to make you happy for the rest of our lives."

He slowly opened the black box to display a sparkling diamond ring.

"Fiona Glenanne, will you marry me?"

Her hands fell from her face, and as she blinked back the tears that clouded her eyes, she dropped to her knees in front of him so they were face to face.

"Yes." She whispered.

"Yes?" He asked softly.

She nodded vigorously, a smile overtaking her face. She launched herself forward, into his arms. He caught her easily, tightening his grip around her.

"I love you, Fiona."

"I love you so much, Michael." She gasped back at him.

He pulled away to slip the ring on her finger, grinning as she admired it in awe. She lifted her eyes back to him, and reached up to cup his face with her palms, sealing her lips to his in a breath-taking kiss. It was the definition of a perfect moment.


	13. Chapter 13

_Oh my goodness, this took way longer than usual to update. Blame it on a crazy work schedule that left me with practically no time to write. Thank you for the reviews on the last chapter, I'm glad you liked Michael's proposal. A few people seemed to take that happy ending to the last chapter as the end of the story, but it sure wasn't! It is winding up though, after this one there will only be a few chapters left. So with that in mind, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please review and let me know your thoughts, it really is encouraging to read them, especially when I'm stuck on the new chapter. I really appreciate the support. As always, I don't own these characters, as much as I wish I did. I'll try not to take so long with the next chapter! I'll also leave you with this pretence; I do not have a great deal of medical knowledge when it comes to certain areas, so please take certain things at liberty!_

Chapter Thirteen:

Fiona woke slowly, sensing movement around her but not wanting to open her eyes just yet. She and Michael had celebrated their engagement into the early hours of the morning, and had finally fallen asleep what felt like only a few short hours ago.

She could hear Michael's ragged breathing beside her, and her senses were immediately on alert. She rolled on to her side to look at him. Her heart jumped when she realised he was having a nightmare, his face tight with tension and his body jerking in his sleep.

Knowing not to get too close to him when he was having a nightmare and still asleep, Fi reached an arm over to his body, gently brushing her fingers through her hair and across his forehead. She whispered his name soothingly, hoping she could get him to calm down without waking up. She knew it was unlikely to happen though.

Suddenly, Michael jerked awake, sitting bolt upright. Fi quickly slid her hand under his pillow to grab his handgun before he could. She didn't want a repeat of his nightmares situation from the previous year.

He stared around wild-eyed, obviously unable to realise he was awake.

"Michael," Fi said soothingly, her voice low. "It's okay, you're home. You're here with me, and you're safe."

When his body sagged with exhaustion, she knew he was awake and coherent enough to understand her. She moved closer on the bed to sit beside him, running a hand up and down his back comfortingly. She leaned forward to press her forehead against his cheek, breathing in and out slowly, silently coaxing Michael to copy her. He did, and eventually his ragged breaths turned deep.

"Are you okay now?" She asked softly.

He nodded silently, his eyes already drifting shut.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Later." He murmured, his body already going slack.

She kissed his temple gently and tugged him back down to the mattress to get a few more hours sleep. She wrapped her arms around his body and relaxed when his breathing deepened even more and she was sure he had fallen back asleep, joining him shortly after.

Hours later, the sun woke her again as it streamed in through their bedroom window. She pried her eyes open to find Michael awake on his side, watching her silently.

"Are you okay?" She asked softly, her voice still rough with sleep.

Michael lifted a hand to brush her hair away from her face.

"I'm fine, Fi. Sorry about before."

"You know you don't have to apologise for anything, Michael. I just want to make sure you're alright."

"I'm alright, I promise. Just a nightmare."

"Did you want to tell me about it?" She asked gently.

He blew a deep breath out through his lips. "I was locked up in that house on my last mission, but I couldn't get out. And then you appeared, but you told me that you couldn't wait any longer, and you had to move on with your life." He dropped his gaze from hers, and her chest clenched at his vulnerable expression.

She wrapped an arm across his side and pulled herself closer to him.

"You know that's never going to happen, Michael." She murmured. "See this?" She held up her hand that was adorned with her brand new ring. "This means you can't ever get rid of me."

"So you haven't changed your mind?" He joked, but she could sense the seriousness behind his sarcasm.

"Never." She shook her head. "Michael, you've had a really hard few months, at the end of a really hard year. Nightmares are to be expected at this point. I get it, and it doesn't make me think any less of you."

He smiled at her softly, amazed by how she always knew the right thing to say. He leaned forward to brush his lips against hers.

"Thanks, Fi."

She smiled back. "Nothing to thank me for, Michael."

"So, you're happy?" He asked, moving the conversation back to the events of the previous night.

"Yes, Michael. I am. Especially since it appears you did listen ages ago when I mentioned I wanted an Asscher cut diamond." She smirked, admiring her ring.

He chuckled. "I do listen, Fi. I wanted it to be perfect for you."

"Well, it is." She kissed him soundly. "Last night was perfect."

"I'm glad. And I'm happy too." He assured her, just in case she was wondering about his thoughts.

"Glad to hear that." She smirked. "Now, why don't you show me just how happy you are?"

Immediately accepting her challenge, he flipped them so that he was holding himself above her body and leaned down to connect their lips once more, content to waste the morning away.

/

"Mom?" Michael called as he and Fi walked into Madeline's house that afternoon.

"Uncle Michael!" Came the excited cry of his nephew, right before a tiny blur of arms and legs crashed into him.

"Woah, hi Charlie!" He chuckled.

"What about Auntie Fi?" Fiona asked in mock disappointment.

The little boy moved over slightly to wrap his arms around her legs.

"Sorry Auntie Fi, I wanted to see Uncle Michael."

Michael and Fi's eyes met over Charlie's head, and Michael couldn't help the slight tug in his chest at his nephew's words.

"Well, I wanted to see you too, Charlie. Where's your grandma?"

"I'll go get her!" Charlie offered, before bolting from the room again with a loud yell.

The door behind them opened, and in waltzed Sam Axe.

"Hey guys! I got your message, Mike, what's up?"

Before Michael could open his mouth to answer, his mother walked back in with Charlie attached to her hand.

"Hi, sweetheart!" Madeline smiled brightly. She walked forward to hug her son and immediately caught sight of the sparkling ring on Fi's finger. She let out a shriek and changed targets, launching herself at Fiona instead.

"Oh my goodness, finally!"

Fiona laughed as she caught Madeline, hugging the older woman back.

"Congrats, Mike!" Sam gripped his best friend in a bear hug.

When Fi was finally released from Madeline's death grip, she was immediately swept up by Sam in a tight hug.

"Congrats, Tinkerbell." He whispered in her ear.

"Thanks, Sam." She whispered back, blinking away tears that had suddenly formed in her eyes. Sam was the person who understood the most just how far she and Michael had come, and just how much it all meant to her. He had been the one to stand by her through all of Michael's disappearances and trips away. She knew she would forever be grateful for his presence in their lives, and consider him a brother.

"Come, come sit down and tell us all about it." Madeline urged, leading them all towards the table.

Michael draped his arm across the back of Fi's chair as he took in his mother's expectant look.

"I don't know what you want to hear, Mom." He shrugged.

Madeline rolled her eyes. "You're hopeless. Fi, how did it happen?"

Fiona told them the story of the night before, without putting in too much detail of their private moments. She and Michael would never be comfortable being that kind of couple, no matter how long they had been together.

"So when do you want to have the wedding?" Madeline pressed on.

Michael signed and rolled his head back in exasperation. "Ma, it just happened last night. We haven't had a chance to talk about it yet."

"Yeah, it's not like you guys ever had the chance to talk about it before." Sam pointed out. The two of them didn't argue with his statement, but stared at him in annoyance.

"Although, didn't you once say something about being a June bride?" Michael asked his fiancée teasingly.

Fiona smirked and whacked her hand against his arm, smiling as Michael laughed in response.

"We're not really the big wedding type of people, obviously." Fiona shrugged. "You guys are all we really want there."

"I understand dear." Madeline assured her. "But you let me know if you need any help, alright? Anything you need."

"I'd love your help, Madeline." Fi smiled at the woman she had long since considered her mother-in-law. Soon she would be able to call her that officially.

"Uncle Michael, come see my new book!" Charlie interrupted excitedly.

"Okay, Charlie." Michael agreed easily, following him into his room.

Fiona smiled as she watched them leave, until Madeline's voice pulled her attention back to her.

"I've never seen him so happy, Fiona." Madeline's voice was soft and full of emotion.

"Really?" Fi asked softly.

"Sweetheart, I don't remember ever seeing him smile so much. He's home and he's in one piece and you're finally getting your future together."

"I still can't believe it's happening." Fi said softly.

"It is happening Fi, because of you." Madeline told her. "You're the reason he could move on from the CIA, the reason he's home safely. You're the reason he fought so hard for your future. He's never been that way with anyone before."

Fi smiled, blinking back emotion.

"When he first came back to Miami, you told him to talk with me, I found out how he was through you. We rebuilt a relationship, and a lot of that is to do with you."

Her eyes widened in shock and surprise.

"Fiona, you're the reason I have my son back." Madeline said seriously. "I can't ever thank you enough for that."

"He's the one that did that, not me." She argued.

Madeline shook her head. "No, you made him want to." She reached over to grasp Fi's hand in hers. "Thank you."

Fi gripped her hand back and smiled at her.

/

"You didn't have any plans for today did you?" Fiona asked him casually as they sat at their kitchen table, Michael eating his usual blueberry yoghurt for breakfast.

He paused with the spoon halfway to his mouth, curious about the tone of her voice. "Why?"

"Just because we have plans to spend the day with Charlie." She told him, standing from the table to begin cleaning up.

He stared at her, his mouth gaping slightly. "What do you mean, Fi?"

"I mean we are taking Charlie for the day so your mom can have some time to herself." She explained very slowly.

"But …" He just continued looking at her, a bewildered expression covering his face.

"Michael, you said you wanted to get to know Charlie better. What better way to do that then spending the day with him?"

"Fi, I meant like playing with him before dinner and putting him to bed a few times a week. I have zero experience with kids outside of saving them from crazed kidnappers, what makes you think it is a solid plan at all to give me responsibility over him for an entire day?"

Michael stared at her wide-eyed, and if it weren't obvious how out of his element he was, Fiona would have laughed. The man could disable bombs and take down mobsters, yet the idea of taking care of a three year old for a few hours was enough to cause a panic attack.

"Michael, do you really think I'm going to leave him alone with you, with no backup whatsoever? Of course not! Your mother wouldn't allow that anyway." She rolled her eyes.

"So, you're not going to leave?" Michael asked slowly.

She moved towards him to clasp his hand in hers. "Of course not, Michael. I've gotten to know Charlie well over the last few months, so I'm going to be there with you. I just think a few hours every week isn't going to do that much for your relationship. We need to kick it up a notch. Plus, your mother's dying for a day to herself, and I took pity on her."

Michael released a long breath that he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Now that it had been established that Fiona wasn't going anywhere, it was time to formulate a plan. Michael Westen functioned best with plans, especially when in unchartered territories. Spending the day with his nephew would just require a slightly different plan than he was used to.

"So, what are we going to do with him all day?" He asked his fiancée. He had no idea three year olds liked to do.

"Well, we could take him somewhere?" Fi suggested. "Get him out of the house for a bit."

Michael nodded absentmindedly, his already working in overdrive to consider the possible threats and dangers of any place they might take Charlie.

Fiona knew exactly where his head was. "Michael, calm down." She laid a hand over his arm. "He will be completely safe with us." She reassured him in a soothing tone.

They ended up taking Charlie to the park after going out for lunch near the beach. Charlie had chattered away excitedly the entire car trip and all the way through lunch, so both adults were content to let him ran around and hopefully use up some of his energy on the play equipment.

"What do I do when he's older and he asks about Nate?" Michael said softly, watching Charlie play on the slide with the same level of concentration that he dedicated to surveillance missions.

Fi sighed. "The truth, but maybe a bit watered down to start with, until he's old enough to understand. Tell him how much his dad loved him, and how much he wanted to do everything right for him. That he was a good man."

"He would've liked to be at our wedding." Michael murmured, never taking his focus off of his nephew. "He was always joking with me about you, asking when we were going to give Charlie a cousin."

Fiona turned to look at him; slightly shocked with the turn the conversation had taken.

"You never told me that." She said slowly.

Michael finally turned to meet her eyes. "We've never really had that conversation before. And whenever he mentioned it, you and I were in the middle of a job, or not in the right place to talk about it."

She nodded wordlessly, turning her gaze back to Charlie.

Michael watched her as she watched the young boy. They'd never brought up the conversation of kids throughout their relationship, since their lives and jobs weren't particularly conducive for raising a child safely. Not they'd ever seriously mentioned marriage either, other than the CIA mission where they had played husband and wife. He wasn't sure where her thought were on the topic, and whether he should bring it up.

"Do you ever think about kids?" He asked hesitantly, unsure of what her answer would be, or what he wanted it to be.

She turned back to face him briefly, shrugging her shoulders.

"I'll admit, I have thought about it every once in a while. Never seriously though. You and I have never been in that place before. I'd assumed it was never an option for us."

"I get that." He agreed. "Although, things are different now, with me being out and having my pension. It could be an option, if you wanted it to be." He left the idea hanging between them.

"It could never just be an option because I want it to be, Michael." She said seriously. "It would have to be something you want too. I'd never have a child with someone who doesn't want one."

"I understand that." He nodded. "But I've never said I didn't want kids, I just didn't think of them as ever being an option. Just like I never thought I'd leave the Agency. Things have changed, so we could have a conversation, if you want to."

She looked back at him, her expression blank and unmoving. He waited while she seemed to search his face for something before answering him.

"Maybe we could have a real conversation about it later then?" She suggested.

Michael nodded with a small smile. "Of course."

/

"Sam's got a job for us." Michael looked up from the text message he'd just received.

"Thank God." Fi said overdramatically. "I'm getting a little stir crazy."

"I had noticed." Michael chuckled. Taking care of Charlie a few days before had certainly kept them occupied, but he knew Fi had been itching to get back to work.

"Well, we haven't worked a job since you got back." Fi reminded him. "And I did a few with Sam while you were gone, but it's been far too long."

"Admit it though, it has been nice not having to worry about jobs for money, hasn't it?" Michael's pension was certainly helping with their living costs.

"Of course." Fiona nodded. "But we didn't just do our jobs for the money, or to chase down leads on your burn notice. We did it to help others. It'll be nice to keep doing it without the added pressure now."

"True." Michael acknowledged. "Alright, let's go meet Sam."

The couple quickly made their way to Carlito's, where Sam was already waiting for them.

"Jesse coming?" Michael asked, noticing their friend's absence.

Sam shook his head. "Nah, he's tied up at work. Plus, this shouldn't be too difficult of a job, so I told him we'd let him know if we ended up needing any help."

Michael nodded in response. "Fair enough. So what's the job?"

"One of the bartenders at Elsa's hotel has a son who's gotten into some trouble. Some gangbangers have picked him up and brought him into their group, but he's just a kid. Now he's getting caught up with drugs and guns, his father doesn't know what to do. Elsa mentioned us to him, so I told him we'd see what we could do."

"I'm in." Fiona said immediately, her face set in resolve.

Michael sighed, thinking about how much he hadn't missed drug dealers who used vulnerable teenagers to do their dirty work.

"Me too." He said, knowing that he'd never leave them to do a job without him. They were his team.

"Great." Sam clapped his hands together. "Let's get going then, we've got some recon to do."

/

It hadn't been too difficult to locate the warehouse where the gang members stashed their drugs and important documents. Fiona had been constructing a small explosion to act as a distraction when everything went to hell. The head dealer had been tipped off about some people snooping around, and Fi watched in horror as Michael and Sam were discovered. Abandoning her task, she hurried towards the boys as shots began ringing throughout the warehouse.

There were four men to the two of Michael and Sam, who alternated between firing shots and hand to hand combat to deter them.

She saw one of the men raise his gun at Michael's turned back, and before she knew it she was running at full speed towards her fiancé, catching him off guard and knocking him over with such force that he fell to the ground.

It wasn't until she hit the ground herself that she realised she was in pain. The sound of the gun going off hadn't even reached her ears.

"FI!"

Michael was hovering above her in an instant, thankfully unharmed himself. He turned and shot the man without any hesitation, watching him hit the ground before tugging her into his arms and hurrying away from immediate danger.

"Fiona," He said desperately as soon as they were safe. He laid her back down on the ground and scanned his eyes up and down her body. His heart jumped into his throat as he took in the mess of blood covering her left shoulder, running down her arm far too fast for his liking. Her ragged breathing reached his ear and caused his pulse to quicken even further.

"Fi!" He yelled, trying to pull the attention of her half closed eyes to him. "Fi, look at me." He begged her. "Keep your eyes open."

She managed to drag one limp hand to rest on his arm, squeezing with as much effort as she could in an attempt to reassure him.

"It's okay, Michael." She whispered so softly that he almost didn't hear her.

He nodded frantically. "Of course it's okay. You're going to be fine Fi, alright?"

She nodded at him slowly, her eyelids drooping shut.

"No, Fi! Fi!" Michael cried, cupping her cheek with his palm, startled by how pale and cold she was.

"Mike!" Sam called, bolting from Fi's car that he had pulled up alongside the couple. "C'mon, we've gotta get her patched up!"

"Sam, I don't think she's breathing!" He gasped, watching his best friend's face turn ashen.

"Crap, she's losing too much blood. She's going into shock." Sam growled, situating himself on the other side of Fiona, readying himself to start chest compressions.

Michael nodded as he realised what Sam was about to do, and leaned over her, beginning resuscitation.

"Please, Fi, please." He whispered against her cheek in between breaths.

After what was most likely a minute or so, but felt like a lifetime to Michael, Fi's body surged suddenly and she coughed violently. He finally took in a breath, gently rolling her to her side, keeping one hand against her shuddering back.

"Thank god, Fi." He murmured, running another hand across her forehead.

"Good girl." Sam muttered, breathing in deeply and turning his face to the sky. "Okay, Mikey, we'd better get her in the car and back to your place."

Michael nodded, before gathering her into his arms as carefully as he ever had and followed Sam to the Hyundai, waiting as he opened the door for them. He settled himself in the backseat with her limp body draped across his lap, cradling her protectively against his chest while Sam climbed in to the driver's seat.

"Just hang on, Fi." Michael murmured against her temple. "Don't leave me."


	14. Chapter 14

_Hi guys! I know this has been the longest wait ever for an update, and I really am sorry! It's been a crazy few months with work, and real life comes first unfortunately. As someone did say in a review, Sam has been driving really slowly! Haha. This chapter also has a very important moment, so I wanted to make sure I got it right! I really hope you enjoy it. This chapter should really solidify just how different Michael is in this version of season 7, compared to the real show. This story is nearly over, there's just one chapter left after this one. I honestly still can't believe how sweet people have been towards this story, and how many reviews people have left. It's honestly the greatest feeling, and I really do appreciate the support. Please let me know what you think of this chapter. Thank you again for reading._

 _Two quick notes! As I usually say, please take medical aspects of the story lightly, as I don't have a great deal of medical knowledge, and I mainly just use my imagination, with enough research to fit it in. There are a few lines in this chapter that I took from 7.02 Forget Me Not, I obviously did not make them up, and do not own them. Lastly, the song lyrics used at the end of the chapter are from The Reach by Miranda Lee Richards. You might recognise it from the episode where Michael first visits Fi in prison. And that's all I'll say about that, I'll leave you to it!_

Chapter Fourteen:

Sam drove Fi's prized Hyundai faster than he had ever dared before as Michael sat in the backseat with said woman draped across his lap, holding his palm against the wound on her arm.

"Should I take you guys to your place, Mikey, or do we need a hospital?" Sam called back to him.

Michael moved his hand slightly to inspect her wound and assess the situation. The fact that they'd had to force breath back into her only minutes earlier was definitely still weighing on his mind.

"No hospital." Fi's quieter than usual voice came from against his chest. He looked down to see her eyes fluttering as she dangled on the edge of consciousness. "It's not that bad. We'll have questions at hospital, cops will get involved."

"Fi, if you need a hospital, you'll go to one. End of discussion." Michael tried to keep his voice firm, but he could hear the worry he was feeling, clear as day.

"I'm okay, promise." She murmured.

He sighed heavily, before turning his attention back to Sam.

"To our place, for now, Sam."

"You got it, brother." His best friend nodded.

Once they arrived back at the house, Michael carried her to their bedroom, and draped her across their large, new bed, while Sam hurried to get their medical kit from the bathroom.

"Don't let me get blood on the sheets." Fiona moaned.

"Fiona, I'll buy some new sheets." He practically growled in frustration.

Thankfully, Sam chose that moment to re-enter the room, setting up the necessary tools next to Fiona. He made quick work of cleaning and disinfecting her wound, freezing it before stitching the gash in her arm back up.

Fi gripped Michael's hand tightly as Sam worked, failing to keep a grimace off of her face. Michael gripped it back just as firmly, using his free hand to brush against her cheek and push her hair away from her face.

"He's almost done, Fi." He soothed her gently, wiping drops of perspiration from her forehead.

She nodded silently, which told him all he needed to know about how she was feeling. A silent Fiona was never good.

"Finished." Sam proclaimed only a few minutes later. He produced some heavy painkillers from the kit, and handed them to her.

Michael quickly made his way to the bathroom and returned only a minute later with a glass of water and a damp washcloth. He helped Fi to settle herself more comfortably on the bed as Sam gathered up the blood stained medical tools.

"I'm just gonna go …" Sam jerked his head out towards their kitchen, letting Michael know where he'd be. The younger man nodded in understanding before turning his attention back to Fiona.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly.

She nodded. "It's numb now at least. Can't feel much."

"Good." Michael sighed. "You should get some rest."

"Sorry I scared you." She whispered to him, her eyes already falling shut in exhaustion.

"It's okay, Fi. You're going to be fine, that's all that matters."

She murmured something in response, before her breathing evened out as she slipped into unconsciousness.

Michael sighed heavily, feeling some of the tension leave his body as he settled himself beside her on the bed. He turned on his side so he could keep his attention on her as she slept.

/

A few hours later, Fi's eyes fluttered open, and she instinctively turned on her side towards the warm body beside her that she knew belonged to Michael. The second she did, she let out a loud gasp, having forgotten about the injury on that arm.

Warm hands were instantly on her, helping to roll her onto her back again.

"Careful, Fi." Michael's soft voice admonished her. His fingers danced just below her stitches, caressing the skin gently.

"How long was I out?" Her croaky voice asked.

"A few hours. It's almost dinner time." Michael told her. "Do you feel like eating anything? My mom brought some food over for us."

She murmured noncommittally. "Maybe in a bit." All she wanted was to roll onto her side and lay her head on his strong chest, but her recently stitched arm made that a bit difficult. She settled for reaching her hand over to clasp his fingers between hers.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, squeezing her hand comfortingly. "We gave you some blood while you were sleeping, so that should have started to help."

"Hmm, could be better, could be worse."

He fought the urge to roll his eyes at her vague response, knowing it was her tendency to hide any weakness she felt.

"I don't have the best of luck with this arm." She said suddenly, grinning weakly.

He actually did roll his eyes that time, even though he appreciated her attempt at a joke to ease the tension.

"Don't remind me." He sighed, leaning to press his lips to the shoulder of her injured arm, remembering her altercation with O'Neill years ago. The slight mark from that injury would now be accompanied by the newer, larger wound. While their little team were not strangers to getting hurt and patching themselves up, Michael hated the thought of any incidents marring Fi's perfect golden skin, despite knowing how tough she was.

A soft knock on the door interrupted their conversation, and Madeline cautiously poked her head into the room.

"Hey, guys." She called softly. "I just wanted to see how Fi is. I thought maybe you'd like some tea, sweetheart?"

Fiona smiled at her surrogate mother, soon to be actual mother-in-law.

"Thanks, Madeline." She said as the older woman made her way to the side of the bed, placing a cup of tea on the bedside table.

Madeline patted her leg affectionately. "You're welcome, sweetie. You gave us all a bit of a scare."

"I know. I'm sorry." She replied softly.

"Nothing to be sorry about, Fi." Madeline reassured her. "We're just glad you're okay. I'll leave you two to it, just call out if you need anything."

"Thanks, Mom." Michael told her as she left the room.

Once they were alone again, Michael rolled on his side to face her.

"Fi, I didn't see what happened out there, but Sam told me he watched you run in front of the guy's gun. Why did you do that?"

"He was going to shoot you, Michael. I couldn't let him." She said simply, meeting his eyes.

He felt as if the air had been knocked from his chest. "Fi, you can't …"

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Michael." She retorted. "I couldn't stand there and let him shoot you. It would've been much worse than the injury I ended up with."

He sighed heavily. "Fi, you can't put yourself in danger for me."

She stared at him in disbelief. "Of course I can, Michael. Isn't that what we've been doing all these years? Can you tell me you wouldn't have done the same thing if it were Sam or I in trouble?"

"Well, of course I would." He admitted.

"So why does it make it any different for me to do it?" She asked pointedly.

Michael sighed again. "It doesn't." He admitted. "But Fi, I thought I was going to lose you. I can't lose you, I don't know what I'd do."

Her face softened at the desperate look in his eyes, and she reached across with her good hand to brush against his cheek.

"Then you understand why I did it," she said softly. "Because I feel the same way about you. That's what happens when you love someone."

Michael nodded, a glossy look taking over his eyes. He knelt to bury his face in her soft hair, still gripping her hand tightly.

"I was so worried, Fi." He whispered, so softly that she wouldn't have heard him had his mouth not been right next to her ear.

She reached a hand up to thread her fingers through his hair.

"I know, Michael." She soothed him. "But this is how our lives are. These things happen, but we deal with them."

"Makes me wish our lives were different." He muttered. "Makes me never want to do a job again."

"You don't mean that. We love this life. We do these jobs for a reason, and we haven't stopped all the other times these things have happened." She rationalised with him.

Michael sighed heavily, and nodded against her hair, letting her know that he would drop it, for now at least.

"Besides," she said lightly. "You promised me a wedding, and I'm not letting you out of it that easily."

He let out a short laugh, and leaned down to press his lips to hers.

"I'm very glad for that." He murmured.

The knocking of the door once again pulled their attention away from each other, causing Michael to left his head to stare at the unknown intruder with an affronted glare.

"You'd never know this is our place, with the lack of privacy we get here." He grumbled.

Fi laughed, calling out for the visitor to enter.

Sam appeared in the doorway as the door swung open.

"Hey, Fi, you feeling any better?" The ex-SEAL asked. At her nod, he turned to Michael. "Hey, Mikey, your mom wants a word with you."

Michael sighed and pressed a kiss to Fi's temple before pushing himself up off the bed. Sam waited for him to leave before making way to sit beside her on the bed.

"How are you feeling, Tinkerbell? You gave old Sammy a bit of a scare there."

She could see the honesty in his eyes, and she thanked the universe that she had a friend as good as Sam Axe.

"I'm fine, Sam, I promise." She assured him.

He let out a breath he had been holding. "Good, because every time you pull a stunt like that, you take five years off my life, I swear."

"I'll try to cut back then." She promised.

He smiled at her. "Good. Alright, I'd better let you get some more rest." He patted her leg before making a move to stand from the bed.

"Wait, Sam." She stopped him before he could move. He turned to her in confusion. "Before you go, I need to ask you something."

He nodded, silently telling her to continue.

"Michael and I were talking about details for the wedding yesterday, and you know it's just going to be very simple, but I wanted to know if you would maybe walk me down the aisle? None of my brothers can make the trip over here, and you're really closest thing I have to a brother these days."

She watched as a thousand watt smile lit up his face.

"Are you kidding me, Fi? I'd be honoured to." He reached over to grip her hand. "Absolutely."

She smiled back at him. "Thanks, Sam. And if you ever tell anyone I said this, I'll deny it, but I really don't know what I would've done without you these last few months. I know Michael told you to look out for me while he was gone, which was completely unnecessary, but I appreciate it anyway."

Her friend smiled at her before coughing slightly to clear his throat.

"Jeez, Fi, if a near death experience is what it takes for you to tell me how wonderful I am, that should happen all the time!" He joked as he rose from the bed. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead before leaving the room with a wink.

She laughed as he left, gingerly settling herself back down to rest some more.

/

"Oh, this is so exciting!" Madeline practically squealed, while Fi and Dani tried their best to hide their amused faces.

They were standing in a bridal shop, surrounded by wedding dresses. Fi had spent the last couple of weeks healing after her incident during their last job, and Madeline had finally persuaded her into going dress shopping. She and Michael had planned the rest of their small ceremony and reception while she'd sat at home recovering, and her dress was the last piece of the puzzle.

Fi eyed some of the gowns in front of her, taking note of the sparkles and tulle. She definitely wouldn't be caught wearing any of those dresses.

"Do have anything in mind, Fiona?" Dani asked.

Fi wrinkled her nose. "Something … simple. A lot of these dresses are too much. Plus, we'll be on the sand, so a full ball gown doesn't make much sense."

She and Michael had decided to have the ceremony on the beach, at the same place where he had proposed to her. That stretch of sand had witnessed many of their important moments in the last year, bearing witness to times that had torn them apart, and brought them back together.

"Okay, how about some of these ones?" Dani headed towards a rack of dresses that didn't stand out as much as the rest. Fiona followed her over and they began to search through it, picking out the dresses with potential. After collecting an arm full of possibilities, Madeline and Dani pushed her into a change room.

The first few dresses were nothing special, but when Fiona put on the fourth dress, she just knew. When she exited the change room, both Dani and Madeline let out gasps of excitement.

"What do you think?" Fi asked, holding the delicate material out to the side. The top half of the dress was covered in delicate beading with a low back, and soft layers of tulle that spilled from the ribbon at her waist and ended just below the ankle. It wasn't too much, or too little. It was perfect.

"Oh, Fi, you look beautiful!" Dani smiled.

Fi smiled back at her, glad to have a female friend she could trust for the first time in years. "Thanks, Dani."

She turned to face Madeline, and was shocked to find the older woman holding back tears.

"Madeline, are you okay?" She asked in concern, moving towards her.

Madeline smiled with a wave of her hand. "No, I'm fine. I'm just a little over emotional. But Fi," she stood, moving to grasp the younger woman's hands in hers. "Sweetheart, you look beautiful. If my son didn't already know how lucky he is, he sure will now."

"Thank you, Madeline." Fi smiled.

"And I need to tell you how happy I am that things have worked out for you and Michael. I didn't get to go to Nate's wedding, so I'm so happy that I will see you and Michael up there. I never thought any of this would happen for him, and there's no one else I'd rather see him with. I'm so glad you're going to be my daughter, Fiona."

Fi couldn't hide the emotion on her face, so she launched herself forward and wrapped her arms around Madeline.

"Thank you." She whispered fiercely. Having not seen her own mother in so long, and not being able to have her family at her own wedding was difficult, but there weren't enough words to express how grateful she was for Madeline Westen.

"Alright, no more tears." Madeline laughed once they let go of each other. "I think we've found your perfect dress. So let's buy it so we can get you married!"

/

"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" Fi asked Michael as they lay in bed the night before the wedding. They had remained adamant to his mother that they would be spending their last night as an unmarried couple together at home, refusing to follow the tradition of not seeing each other on the morning of the wedding.

" _Since when have we ever done anything the regular way, Mom?"_ Michael had pointed out to Madeline, who had huffed and sighed before conceding that it was their day anyway.

"Would you believe me if I said no?" He mused.

She let out a small snort of derision. "No, not really."

"It's true." He insisted.

"Michael Westen not nervous about getting married? It's not something I can say I expected. Though most people wouldn't have expected the getting married part anyway."

"Well, people can change. Isn't that what you told me once or twice, or a hundred times?" He teased right back.

"Maybe." She chuckled, turning to press her forehead against his strong chest.

He tightened his arms around her, letting it all sink in.

"You know," he said softly. "For the last few years it feels like we've been running all the time, but no matter what we do we've always been behind. But now I feel like I can breathe, and I don't have to run anymore. A lot of that's because of you, Fi."

She lifted her head to lock her eyes on his.

"It's always been you, Fi. It's always been us against whatever the world throws at us. Tomorrow's just making it official. I guess that's why I'm not nervous. Does that make sense?"

She smiled at him softly. "Yeah, it does." She whispered.

She laid her head back on his chest and let the feeling of contentment wash over her. Tomorrow they would be married, something she'd never even allowed herself to consider. She had never considered her life to be perfect, but it was pretty close right now.

/

Fiona took a deep breath as she looked out over the ocean, wearing her wedding dress and a ring of delicate flowers in her hair, with a small bouquet in her hands. She and Michael had awoken beside each other that morning, but he had soon been banished to Madeline's house with Sam and Jesse once his mother and Dani had arrived.

" _Next time we see each other, we'll be getting married." Michael murmured into her ear._

 _She grinned at him, leaning up to kiss his lips._

" _Alright, you two, cut it out! There's plenty of time for that later." Madeline called as she entered the room. "Michael, you need to go so Fiona can get ready."_

" _Alright, alright." He grumbled, turning back to his bride. He leaned down to kiss her once more. "I love you."_

" _I love you too." She smiled. No matter how often or not he said, she knew she'd never get used to hearing it._

Sam appeared by her side. "You ready for this, sister?"

She turned to him with a smile. "You bet I am."

He offered her his arm. "Then let's get this show on the road."

She linked her arm through his and they headed down the stretch of sand towards the small crowd that was gathered. Madeline and Charlie stood beside Jesse and Dani, with Elsa on their other side. Barry, and even Sugar, rounded out the group. But Fiona didn't notice any of them. Her eyes were focused solely on Michael.

He watched her as she made her way to him, staring at her with an expression she had never seen on him before. There was a sincerity present that openly defied the restraint he constantly showed. Above all, she could see love in his eyes, something she had seen many times, but never in such an apparent way.

She finally reached the end of the aisle. Sam kissed her cheek gently with a wink, before taking his place beside Elsa. While Michael would have had Sam as his best man, he and Fi had chosen not to have anyone stand beside them, wanting it to simply be the two of them together.

She took her place in front of him, lacing her fingers through his when he reached for her hands.

"Hey." She whispered, smiling softly.

"Hey." He whispered back.

They stood locked to each other' gaze for a long moment, before the celebrant began to speak.

"Friends and family, we are gathered here today to witness the love between Michael and Fiona, and the commitment that they are making to each other. Marriage is the greatest commitment two people can make to each other, and it is a blessing and a joy to watch these two make the promise in front of us all."

"Michael and Fiona have decided to use traditional Celtic vows for this ceremony," the celebrant informed the small group. "So they will now each recite them, one at a time. Fiona, would you like to go first?"

She nodded at him, and turned to face Michael, unable to stop the smile that took over her face. She took a breath and began to recite the vows she had heard at weddings ever since she had been a small child. Saying them now to Michael felt like the completion of a cycle.

"You cannot possess me, for I belong to myself. But while we both wish it, I give you that which is mine to give. You cannot command me, for I am a free person. But I shall serve you in those ways you require. I pledge to you that yours will be the name I cry aloud in the night and the eyes into which I smile in the morning. I pledge to you my living and my dying, each equally in your care. I shall be a shield for your back and you for mine. I shall not slander you, nor you me. I shall honour you above all others and when we quarrel we shall do so in private, and tell no strangers our grievances. This is my wedding vow to you. This is a marriage of equals." She spoke strongly and clearly, but couldn't restrain the emotion that bubbled in her throat.

Michael leaned forward to gently brush a fallen drop from her cheek, his face lit up with the special look he saved for her alone.

"Michael, would you like to recite the vows to Fiona?" The celebrant invited him.

He nodded without taking his eyes from her. "You cannot possess me, for I belong to myself. But while we both wish it, I give you that which is mine to give. You cannot command me, for I am a free person. But I shall serve you in those ways you require. I pledge to you that yours will be the name I cry aloud in the night and the eyes into which I smile in the morning. I pledge to you my living and my dying, each equally in your care. I shall be a shield for your back and you for mine. I shall not slander you, nor you me. I shall honour you above all others and when we quarrel we shall do so in private, and tell no strangers our grievances. This is my wedding vow to you. This is a marriage of equals."

He didn't notice Sam rapidly blinking his eyes in a suspicious way, or his mother dabbing at her cheeks with a handkerchief. All that mattered, and all he could focus on was the woman standing in front of him; the woman who had stood by him through everything over the last few years, even when he hadn't deserved her support.

"Fiona," the celebrant continued. "Do you take Michael to be your husband, to have and hold, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"

She smiled at the man before her, the only one she had ever loved. "I do." As she affirmed her commitment, she took the simple silver band and slid it onto the ring finger of Michael's left hand.

"And Michael, do you take Fiona to be your wife, to have and hold, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Said Michael, sounding surer than any of them had heard him sound before. He slid the delicate silver ring on Fi's finger, right above her engagement ring.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife." The celebrant announced. "You may kiss the bride."

Michael didn't waste a second before pulling Fi into his arms and sealing his mouth to hers in a way that none of their friends and family had ever witnessed before. Loud cheers erupted from the small group of people, as the couple officially became as bound together as they had been for years.

/

The function room at The Forge glittered with fairy lights, as music and conversation filled the air. Everyone was seated around one large, round table as they ate and chatted. Michael stood with his mother and Charlie, having been talking with them, but the sight of his _wife_ had distracted him.

Madeline smiled knowingly at the look in her son's eyes. "Go on." She urged him with a smile.

Michael flashed his ridiculous grin that he saved for the woman who raised him, and returned to his wife's side, bending down to whisper something in her ear.

"Would ya like to dance?" The sound of his familiar Irish brogue caused emotion to rise in her throat again.

She turned to him, eyes sparkling, and said with a grin, "You sure a dance is all you're after?"

He smiled, recognising the first words she'd ever spoken to him, all those years ago. He replied with his original response. "It's a start."

He took her hand and led her over to the dance floor that had been assembled on the side of the room. None of them noticed the smiles of their friends and family as they began to dance, locked in their own world.

 _When we were young in love our world was so small_

 _And now we're grown, we're giants standing tall._

 _In being who you are there is no shame,_

 _Through the eyes of compromise it never looks the same._

"You know, all those years ago when you first asked me to dance, I never imagined we'd end up here." She murmured against his shoulder, where her head rested.

"Definitely not me either." Michael chuckled. "All I knew was I had to talk to you, screw whatever else I was meant to be doing. You've always been the one to distract me from a mission."

Fi smirked at his words, knowing how true they were. "And don't you forget it."

"I never could." He whispered, bending down to brush his lips against hers. He sighed in contentment as she resettled herself against him. "I just wish I'd gotten myself sorted out earlier."

"Hey," she firmly, as she pulled his head down to meet her eyes with his. "We've talked about this. There's no point wondering about the past, or wishing we could do things differently. We're here now, and that's all that matters."

Michael nodded. "You're right," he murmured, tightening his grip on her. "I don't know where I'd be without you, Fiona. I never would have gotten through the last few years without you, especially those times where I didn't deserve your help."

"Same goes for me, Michael." She assured him. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I don't regret a single moment that I've spent with you."

He stared down at her, feeling more at peace with his life than he ever had. He had no idea what he'd done to deserve her. Rather than dwell on it any further, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head and continued to sway with her in his arms.

"I love you." He whispered into her soft hair. Words he had been so incapable of saying his whole life now seemed so simple, all because of her. She deserved to hear them, and he knew he'd spend the rest of their lives making sure she knew it.

 _And can you feel me, feel my reach?_

 _Oh honey, take it easy, honey, just be._

Fiona closed her eyes and let the music wash over her, content in the arms of her husband. She'd meant every word she'd said to him. Their lives together had always been complicated, but every moment they'd shared or choice they had made had lead to them being here, right now.

"I love you too, Michael."


	15. Chapter 15

_Wow, here I am (finally!) with the last chapter of this story. Yes, I know this last one took forever, but as always, real life gets super busy and takes priority. I didn't intend for it to take this long, or for people to think the last chapter I published was the end, so thanks for being patient. This is a pretty special moment for me, as this is the first multi-chapter story I have actually finished. I never expected this story to get to where it has. Ten months later, roughly 50,000 words, well over 100 reviews, and it is done. While those stats might not compare to some other stories on this site, I am beyond thrilled with how this story has done, and I am beyond thankful to anyone who has read a chapter, left a review, or sent me a private message. The Burn Notice fandom is so lovely and encouraging, and this story just showed me that even more. You have made writing this story even more enjoyable._

 _Just to answer a few questions from last chapter's reviews, yes I will be definitely be writing more Burn Notice stories! This is my favourite fandom to write for, and I still have lots of ideas for stories. At this point, none of them are multi-chapters, as I feel like I would need the right storyline to do another multi-chapter story. It will also depend on how much time I have to write as to how quickly I will get them published. If you do not yet follow my account on here, I recommend you do so that you won't miss anything I post! Once again, thank you for the support, I appreciate it more than I can ever say. I hope you enjoy this last chapter of Michael and Fi's story (in this universe at least!)._

Chapter Fifteen – Epilogue

 _Previously:_

" _I don't know where I'd be without you, Fiona."_

" _Same goes for me, Michael. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I don't regret a single moment that I've spent with you."_

 _Seven years later_

The sun beat down on Miami on a Friday afternoon, hot as ever. Michael pulled the Charger into the driveway of his and Fi's home, shutting off the engine quickly. It had been a long, tiring day at work, and he was glad to be home. He and Fi were having everyone over for a barbeque that night, so while he knew he wasn't in for a typically relaxing evening, he was looking forward to spending time with his friends and family at the end of a long week.

Letting out a deep sigh, he pulled his tie away from his throat and climbed out of the car, heading towards the house.

"Daddy, Daddy!"

A small blur ran straight at him, hitting into his legs with a greater force than one would expect from a six-year-old girl.

Not bothered slightly by the impact, Michael reached down to hoist his daughter up into his arms. "Hey, Ava! How was school, sweetheart?"

"Great!" She beamed. "I moved up another level in reading!"

"Well done!" He praised, wondering how he'd ended up with such a smart kid. Ava had only started kindergarten a few months ago and was continually blowing her teachers away with what she was capable of.

"It wasn't that hard," she smirked at him with raised eyebrows.

Michael rolled his eyes and laughed at how much she looked like Fiona in that moment. _Yep, definitely related._

"Is everyone inside?" He asked, heading into the house with Ava still in his arms.

"Grandma and Uncle Jesse aren't here yet, but Charlie's here!"

"Let's go find them then."

Still carrying Ava, Michael slid though the front door into the house that he and Fi had bought so many years before. Still decorated to Fiona's standards, the living room held quite a few more kids toys than it had when they first moved in. As for their guns and other weapons, they had been relocated to the garage, which was kept locked for safety reasons. Of course, there were still handguns hidden in higher up places, in case they were ever needed. They were still Michael and Fiona, after all.

They made their way to the living room,

"Dadda!" A small voice cried.

Michael placed Ava down on the ground just in time for a smaller pair of arms to wrap themselves around his legs.

"Hey, buddy." Michael smiled at his son as he lifted him into his arms. "What are you doing?"

"Playing trains with Uncle Sam and Charlie!" He grinned back.

"Yeah, come on Nate, Charlie is taking over without you here to help me!" Sam called from his place on the floor.

"Okay!" Little Nate scrambled in his father's arms until Michael relinquished and put him down, following him over to the game. Michael clapped his best friend on the shoulder and leaned down to greet his nephew.

"What was your day, Charlie?"

"Good." The ten-year-old shrugged.

While Charlie still lived with Madeline, he was a permanent fixture at Michael and Fiona's, staying over when his grandmother needed a break, or coming over after school when he and Ava had finished. Michael and Fi had even set up his own room for him, and despite the age differences, he got along well with his cousins.

"Where's Fi?" Michael turned to Sam.

"She's out the back getting some stuff ready. She asked me to keep an eye on the kids." Sam told him.

Michael nodded. "Okay, I'm going to go talk to her."

"Sure thing, Mike."

He headed outside to the backyard, stopping on the back steps at the sight of his wife as she placed various items across a table. He smiled as he watched her. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, even after so many years together.

" _Fi?" Michael called worriedly as he came through the front door. He'd left her home a few hours earlier when she'd decided to miss a meeting about a job because she wasn't feeling well. Fi being under the weather was extremely uncommon, but Fi missing out on a job for any reason was enough to worry, especially since she'd been feeling unwell for a few days. He'd tried to call her on the way home to check if she needed anything, but she hadn't answered, which had added to his concern._

 _He rushed into their bedroom, where he found her sitting on the bed, staring at the wall._

" _Fi! Are you alright?" He asked, the concern clear in his voice._

 _She didn't move, didn't acknowledge him or his question. His brow furrowed in confusion._

" _Fi!" He called as he moved closer to her._

 _She flinched in surprise, her eyes flitting towards him._

" _Are you okay?" He asked, coming to sit beside her._

" _I, uh, have to tell you something," she said, her voice low and quiet. "And I'm not sure how you'll take it."_

" _You can tell me anything, Fi, you know that." He brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "What is it?"_

 _She didn't answer, but placed something in his open palm instead. He looked down at what she had passed him._

" _Wha-"._

 _It was a pregnancy test. A positive pregnancy test._

" _Fi?" He turned to look at her, his eyes wide. As clear as the object in his hands was, he needed to hear her say it._

" _I'm pregnant." She whispered._

 _There was complete silence between them for a long moment, before Michael was suddenly pulling her into his arms and crushing her body against his. Fiona startled at his actions._

" _Michael, what –"_

 _Her question was cut off as he pressed his lips against hers, one hand coming up to cup her face in his palm. When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against hers, their ragged breathing filling the space between them._

" _We're going to have a baby?" He asked, his tone low and incredulous._

 _She nodded hesitantly, still shocked by his reaction._

" _Fi, what's wrong?" He asked softly, hating the vulnerable look on her face._

 _She looked down at their hands, linking her fingers through his._

" _I just wasn't sure how you'd react." She explained. "We never really did have that conversation about kids like we said we would."_

 _Michael's heart fell slightly as he realised she'd been worried that he would be upset, or that he would run. Wrapping an arm around her lower back, he pulled her closer to him again and pressed a kiss to her temple._

" _Fi, I'm happy about this." He reassured her. "I had no idea it would feel like this, and I'd never walk away from you again. Especially not from you and our child." He brought his free hand up to tilt her chin up so her eyes met his. "Now, how do you feel about this? Because you're right, we never did talk about it."_

 _A small smile graced her face. "Now that I know you're okay with it, I am pretty excited." She admitted._

" _Good." Michael smiled. "We're going to be parents, Fi. God help this kid." He chuckled._

 _Fiona laughed as well, feeling a wave of relief rush over her now that she knew he was happy. She'd never dared to believe it could all happen._

"Are you just going to stand there and watch, or are you going to say hello to your wife and maybe help her?"

Fiona's voice cut through his memories and he focused his attention on the sight of her standing in the middle of their backyard, her hands on her hips and an amused expression on her face.

Michael chuckled to himself as he made his way towards her.

"Hey, Fi." He whispered against her lips as he kissed her.

"Hey." She smiled up at him, still so much shorter than him, even with her signature wedges on."How was work?"

"Hmm, fine. Nothing exciting, just a really long day. How was that job with Sam?"

"Routine, easy. Finished in plenty of time to pick the kids up."

Their work lives had become a topic of concern in their marriage, especially as the kids had come along. Fiona still helped Sam out with jobs fairly regularly, as long as it didn't impact upon Ava and Nate, and didn't hold too much risk. She'd always known that she'd never be a typical mother, and there had been plenty of conversations about her desire to remain the person she had always been. While Michael occasionally helped them out, he had returned to work only a year after Ava had been born. He had returned to the CIA under a different boss, in the role of training new operatives. His decision to take the job had led to the biggest fight he and Fi had gotten in to since they'd been married, and he knew he'd never forget it.

" _Where's Ava?" Michael asked carefully as he entered his daughter's room, where Fiona was folding baby clothes._

" _With your mother." She answered tensely. "I didn't want her to be around for our_ _ **conversation**_ _."_

 _Michael sighed. When he had told Fi about his offer the night before, she hadn't taken the news well. Although, really, he shouldn't have expected it to go down any better than that._

" _Fi," he started cautiously. "We need to talk about this properly, because I think it'll be a really great opportunity for us."_

" _Really? Because I see it as being a great opportunity for you." She shot back. "I can't even believe we are having this conversation."_

" _Fi, I'm not doing this for me, I'm doing this for us." He said firmly. He had to make her understand._

" _How are you possibly doing this for us?" She asked incredulously. "We closed the door on your CIA life two years ago for many good reasons, and now you want to go back to them like nothing ever happened?"_

" _Just listen to me, Fi! It's not like what I was doing before. It's not classified missions, it's training new operatives so they have the basic skills to survive in the field. There's no travel, no leaving you for weeks on end. I have to provide for our family! Now that we have Ava, we can't keep going like this, no regular income besides my pension. I can't sit around for the rest of my life and do nothing."_

" _Oh, so raising our daughter is doing nothing?" She said scathingly._

 _He groaned. "That's not what I meant Fi, and you know it."_

" _Don't tell me what I know, Michael Westen! All I know is that you said you chose me, chose our family over your job and your old life! I'm so sick of having this argument, Michael! I thought we'd finally ended it years ago, and yet here it is again. I can't do this all over again."_

 _He stepped towards her, cautiously laying a hand on her shoulder. "I do choose you, Fi. I choose you and Ava every day. I'm doing this for us. What am I supposed to tell our daughter that I do for a job when she's older? How can I provide for our family? It's not like regular jobs will work for me, and I don't want to become one of those private security guys. This is a great opportunity because it makes sense for our family. I'm doing this for us, Fi, don't you see that?" He begged with her to understand._

" _All I see is you trying to get your old life back, when you promised that wasn't what you wanted anymore."_

 _The anger had left Fiona's voice, and had been replaced with sadness and resignation. Michael sighed to release his frustration, and tried to look at it from her perspective. His work had always been a sore topic, and while she'd grown to accept it after many years, she'd never loved his work with Agency. He knew how many times he'd left her, beginning all the way back in Ireland, and all the times since then. He couldn't blame her for feeling like they were back in the same situation._

 _He stepped closer into her body, wrapping his arms around her from behind and resting his chin on her shoulder._

" _I'm not leaving you Fi, not ever." He murmured next to her ear. "I don't regret a single moment of our lives together. If you really don't want me to do this, then I won't. But I don't want to turn it down without us really thinking about it."_

 _She sighed, and brought her hands up to cover his on her midsection._

" _Do you promise it'll be different from last time? Because I can't go through that again, Michael." She whispered her words so quietly that he wouldn't have heard her had they not been so entwined._

" _I promise." He whispered back, tilting his head to press a soft kiss to her cheek._

 _She sighed again. "Alright then." She said simply._

He'd kept his promise. While his job was well suited to him and more interesting than an office job, he'd kept reasonable hours for the last five years, and didn't travel away from Fi and the kids. As much as his Irish fireball hated being wrong, she begrudgingly admitted that it was the best decision they could have made for their family.

Fi hummed happily against his chest, pulling him back to the present again. She reached up to wrap her fingers around the neck of his tie, pulling at it playfully.

"Why don't you go get changed into something a little more comfortable, then come back and help with the rest of the stuff?" She said seductively, even though she was talking about the set up for a family barbeque.

Michael chuckled. "Don't make it sound so exciting, Fi, I'll just be disappointed when my mother turns up."

She laughed as well, swiping at his behind as he headed back inside.

/

An hour later, Madeline had arrived and started doting on her grandchildren. She'd been thrilled that Michael had actually settled down and started a family, as everyone had expected her to be. She had become Charlie's permanent guardian after Ruth had died from a drug overdose when he was only five. She had never recovered from her grief over losing Nate, and unfortunately she hadn't been able to pull herself out of it. Ruth's mother and Madeline had both decided it was best for Charlie to remain in Miami with Nate's side of the family, and he had lived with her permanently ever since. Madeline had shortly after decided to quit smoking for good, a decision which had served her well, since she was still in fairly good health for someone her age.

Michael watched as she sat on the couch with Nate on her lap as she read him a story. His son had been another surprise they had and Fi hadn't been expecting, but a happy addition to their lives.

" _He's perfect." Fiona said in awe, staring down at the tiny person in her arms._

" _Yeah," Michael smiled at her side, running his fingertips across his newborn son's head. He remembered feeling this way after Ava was born, and it was the most incredible feeling, but he'd never imagined it would happen again._

" _So, what are we thinking for names?" He asked softly. "I know we settled on a middle name a while ago, but the kid needs a first name as well."_

" _Well," Fi started cautiously. "How would you feel about Nate? Short for Nathan."_

 _Michael's eyes widened. "Fi …"_

" _That way we're remembering Nate, but he still has his own identity. After all, Ava has Claire in her name." She pointed out._

 _Michael leaned forward to press his lips against hers, not pulling back until she was breathless._

" _Thank you." He whispered._

 _A gentle knock sounded at the door, and Madeline peeked her head around the corner._

" _Is it alright to visit?" She asked softly._

 _At their nods, she entered the room with Sam, who held Ava in his arms. He passed the little girl to his best friend, who squealed quietly at the sight of her new baby brother. Sam came to stand next to Madeline, smiling down at the baby as Fi held him._

" _Everyone, we'd like you to meet Nathan Samuel Westen." Michael announced._

 _Madeline's eyes filled with tears, while Sam's widened as he stared at his best friends._

" _Mike, you serious?" Sam asked bewilderedly._

 _Michael grinned. "Yeah, Sam."_

 _He watched his best friend's eyes turn moist, as he turned to look at the newest member of their unusual little family. Sam turned back to him and grasped his shoulder tightly. He didn't say anything; his expression betrayed his true emotions._

 _Michael made his way over to his mom, who smiled tearfully at him. He leaned over to hug her, and gripped at him tightly._

" _Congratulations baby, he's beautiful." She told him._

 _He smiled back at her. "Thanks, Mom."_

" _And your brother would be so proud of you." She whispered._

 _He smiled at her again, a little sadly. His guilt over Nate's death had never really faded, but it hurt less to think about his little brother. He hoped he was doing him proud by naming his son after him._

"Uncle Jesse's here!" His daughter's excited voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Hello, hello, people." Jesse called as he entered, holding his two-year-old son, Luke, in his arms. Dani entered behind them, carrying six-month-old Chloe.

They all made the rounds greeting each other, before Fi called them outside to sit down while Sam and Michael finished with the barbeque.

As they all sat around a large outdoor table, the kids sandwiched between the adults, Michael looked at them all. Family had never been a comfortable thing for him growing up, and he had always expected to live a solitary life in his line of work. All of that had changed after returning to Miami, and being thrust back into life with his mother and friends. They were definitely a dysfunctional family unit, but he could now look back on the last few years and be thankful, no longer haunted by the decisions he'd made and the things that had happened.

"Should we toast to something?" Madeline asked the table, pulling Michael back to the present.

Michael raised his glass first, and waited for everyone to join.

"To family." He said simply.

"To family." The rest of them echoed.

Michael placed his glass down after taking a sip, and leaned over the top of Nate, who was seated between him and Fi, to kiss his wife.

"Eww!" Ava squealed from his other side. "Daddy's kissing Mommy!"

"Oh, is that gross?" Michael asked innocently. "Because you're next!" He leaned back over to plant kisses over her face, as she giggled and squealed.

/

Hours later, after everyone had left, Michael sat on the couch in their living room, drinking a beer. He and Fi had finished putting the two younger Westens to bed, and Fiona had gone to shower afterwards.

He stared at the bookshelf across from him, which held Fi's snow globe collection. They had managed to replace most of them over the years, and arranged them amongst their family photos. One of the photos on the bookshelf caught his eye. It was an older one of his and Fi from their Ireland days, one of the few photos they had together from that period of their lives. He smiled at her dark hair and bangs, and the relatively relaxed smile on his face. Back then she had been the one person to calm him, to make him happy, even when he hadn't been used to feeling that way. He knew that if anyone had told him back then that they would end up married over a decade later, he would have laughed at them. As happy as she had made him back then, his job had been the crushing reality on their relationship.

" _Where do ya see yourself ending up, Michael McBride?" Fiona asked him. They were seated at a table in the Black Sand Pub, which had become one of their regular places to spend the evening. When they weren't blowing up cars, that is._

" _Not sure that I think that far ahead, Fi." He answered truthfully, his carefully constructed Irish accent in place of his regular American voice. Not only was he evading her questions in order to keep his cover in place, he was being truthful. His job didn't give him much time for considering the future. He preferred to focus on the there and now, especially in regards to the mission._

" _Really? It's all I think about it. I like it here, but I want to get away. Live somewhere else in Europe, or even further. I don't want ta be stuck 'ere for the rest of my life. It's too drab here. Maybe I'll go somewhere sunny."_

" _Leave all your family?" Michael asked in surprise. He'd met the rest of the Glenanne family several times by now, and he'd never witnessed a family like them; so close, and in each other's business all the time._

" _Yeah. I mean, I love them, but a girl's gotta make her own way in the world, you know what I mean?"_

 _He smiled at her, loving her enthusiasm. It was probably his favourite thing about her. "Yeah. I do."_

 _She grinned back at him. "Yer an good man, Michael McBride. There ain't a lotta them around."_

 _He smiled at her naturally, but there was a slight pang in his chest that was there every time he remembered he was lying to her. He knew he was getting way too attached to her. She was an asset, and he shouldn't get so involved, but dammit if she didn't make him want to forget about it all._

 _She raised her glass and waited for him to do the same._

" _To wherever life takes us." She toasted._

" _Wherever life takes us." He echoed, clinking his glass against hers._

The couch beside him dipped as Fi curled up beside him, her damp hair brushing against his shoulder as she laid her head on him.

"You've been very quiet tonight." She observed. "Everything okay?"

He smiled at how well she knew him. "Yeah, just been doing a bit of thinking."

"Ooh, that's never good." She teased with a laugh.

He laughed with her before sobering quickly.

"I've just thinking about how things have turned out the last few years."

She lifted her head to look at him. "You're not getting soft on me in your old age, are you Michael Westen?"

He chuckled at her words. "No, Fi, never. I'm just realising how well everything's turned out. I never imagined we'd end up here, you and me. I was always too afraid to admit it, because I was convinced none of this would ever happen. I kind of wish I could go back and tell myself it would all work out."

"Wouldn't that spoil the fun of it though?" Fi pointed out.

Michael shrugged. "I guess so. I could've done without a lot of it, though."

"If you could go back to the day I kicked you awake in that hotel room, what would you do differently?" She wondered.

Michael thought about it. He turned his head to look at her, his wife. She was the woman who had fought for him over and over again, who had gone to prison to protect him. She had given him his beautiful children, and taught him what it was like to truly love someone, and that it was strength, not a weakness to be able to say it to them.

He smiled when he turned her head so her eyes met his, waiting for his answer.

"You know what? Nothing." He said simply. "Because all of that meant that I'm here with you, right now."

She smiled softly, a slight sheen taking over her eyes. "I wouldn't change anything either." She told him. "I would make every decision all over again so that I could be with you. I could never regret being with you."

He smiled and brought a hand up to cup her cheek, connecting himself to her.

"I love you, Fi." He whispered.

She lifted her hand to cover his and squeezed it. "I love you, Michael."

He leaned forward slightly, brushing his lips over hers before deepening the kiss and losing himself in her, the way he only ever had with her. He knew that no matter how many situations he had been put through, all the terrible things that he had done over the years, that all of them had led him to being in their house in Miami, with the only woman he'd ever truly loved. Sure, he'd made mistakes, and there were people that he still thought about and missed, but all of it had led to his life with Fiona. Everything had worked out the way it was meant to. Michael Westen was finally living in peace.

/

 **ÉNOUEMENT**

 _The bittersweetness of having arrived in the future, seeing how things turn out, but not being able to tell your past self._

/


End file.
